Statutory Instruments with Clear Reports

07 July 2025

SL(6)628 – The Building (Amendment)(Wales) Regulations 2025

Procedure: Made Negative

These Regulations amend the Building Regulations 2010 (“the Building Regulations”).  The Building Regulations impose requirements for building work and set out procedures for supervision of that work.

Regulation 6(1)(c) and paragraph B4(1) of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations currently requires the external walls of any existing building over 15 metres in height, which undergoes a material change of use, adequately resists the spread of fire.  These Regulations broaden the scope of that requirement so that in future it will apply to any building over 11 metres in height. 

Regulation 7(2) of the Building Regulations applies to a “relevant building”.  A relevant building is currently one with a floor at 18 metres or more above ground level that contains one or more dwellings, an institution, or a room for residential purposes (but excluding hostels, hotels or a boarding house).  Regulation 7(2) requires all building materials which become part of an external wall, or specified attachment to the wall of a relevant building are of a minimum European Classification A2-s1, d0 or A1, classified in accordance with BS EN 13501-1:2018 entitled "Fire classification of construction products and building elements. Classification using test data from reaction to fire tests”. These Regulations extend the scope of the requirement so that it will in future also apply to hostels, hotels and boarding houses above 18 metres.  These Regulations also prohibit the use of any relevant metal composite material in an external wall or a specified attachment to the wall of a relevant building.  They exempt fibre optic cables and components of solar shading devices from this requirement and extend the exemption already in place for insulation and waterproofing materials used below ground level, to permit use of those materials up to 300 mm above ground level.  

These Regulations make transitional provision so that the changes introduced by them will not apply to work if a building notice, or an initial notice has been given to, or full plans deposited with a local authority before the day these Regulations come into force and the work has either started by that day or starts within 6 months beginning with that date.  

Parent Act: Building Act 1984

Date Made: 17 June 2025

Date Laid: 19 June 2025

Coming into force date: 20 December 2025