Relaxations and alternative solutions
Provides advice on how to proceed if your building design
cannot be made to comply with building regulations.
For building warrants under the 2003 Act
Relaxations under the new system will only be required for
proposals that fail to comply with a mandatory Building Regulation
(yellow pages in the Technical Handbooks).
Any such application is considered by the Building
Standards Division of the Scottish Government.
Where a proposal fails to meet the guidance contained
in the technical standards but the designer considers
this can be achieved by an alternative method, we can consider
such proposals through a process we term a Determination. This
takes advantage of the more flexible format of the technical
standards allowing designers to seek to adopt innovative
solutions. It is recommended that this process should always
begin through discussion with building standards followed by
the submission of a determination application form [PDF:
24Kb] which must be accompanied by sufficient supporting
information to allow an informed decision to be made.
For building warrants under the 1959 Act
In the unlikely event that you have a warrant approved under the
old system that has been extended, and requires relaxation you
may make an
application for relaxation [PDF: 89.6Kb] although in
making such an application careful consideration has to be given as
to the likely effects on the future health, safety and welfare of
the occupants.
