The Act - an Overview Part 1: Building Regulations Section 5: Compliance with guidance documents
26.As the documents referred to in section 4 have the status of guidance, they will not provide the sole means of meeting the requirements of building regulations. Subsections (1) and (2) clarify that failure to comply with guidance documents does not in itself render a person liable to civil or criminal proceedings, though proof of compliance with them may be relied on in any proceedings as evidence that building regulations have not been contravened. Subsection (3) provides that notices issuing, revising or withdrawing guidance, and documents appearing to be guidance documents, are to be accepted as such during any legal proceedings unless the contrary is proved.