Part 3: Building Act 1984 Building control approvers and building inspectors Section 49: Plans Certificates Effect
This section amends section 50 of the Building Act 1984 on plans certificates.
	Section 48(2)(a) inserts into the Act new section 50(1A), which sets out the conditions which must be met for a registered building control approver to issue a plans certificate. These are that the registered building control approver must have inspected the full plans or such plans as are sufficient for the purposes of issuing a plans certificate for the work (new section 50(1A)(a)(i) and (ii)); that the plans are not defective (new section 50(1A)(b)); that the registered building control approver is satisfied that the work covered by the plans, if carried out in accordance with the plans, will comply with building regulations’ requirements (new section 50(1A)(c )); and that relevant consultation requirements have been met ((new section 50(1A)(d)).
	Where the conditions are met, and the person carrying out the work so requests, new sections 50(1B) and (1C) require that the registered building control approver must issue a plans certificate.
	New section 50(1D) requires that plans certificates must be provided in the prescribed form.
	Section 48(2)(c) also inserts new section 50(7A) into the Building Act 1984 which enables building regulations to prescribe circumstances in which a plans certificate must be issued and the consequences if a plans certificate is not issued in those prescribed circumstances, for example that the initial notice which has been issued for the work ceases to have effect. It is expected, for example, that plans certificates will be required for buildings covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
	It also enables building regulations to prescribe that, where the registered building control approver issues a plans certificate in the circumstances set out in subsection (1A)(a)(ii), prescribed information needs to be included on the plans certificate about further plans which the registered building control approver considers need to be provided.
	Section 48(3) amends paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the Building Act 1984 to make similar provision in respect of a public body’s notice plans certificate.