A few observations on opting out of SI9… @BRegsBlog

There’s a few things that have arisen regarding clients and opting out of SI 9 recently that I thought I’d share: Firstly, if you’re not sure what I’m talking about with opting in or out – read THIS first So, Read More …

Mark Stephens Architects in yesterdays Sunday Times…

In case you missed it: below is the article where we were featured in the Sunday Time’s article on Self-Building and the Building Regulations: You can see other articles where Mark Stephens Architects are included HERE

Mould and buildings! A huge thanks to Simon McGuinness @PassiveLogical for this [video]

The topic of mould has raised it’s head a lot on the refurbishment of older properties we’ve been working on recently. The excellent video below by Simon McGuinness (PassiveLogical) gives a full and detailed explanation of what’s happening and what Read More …

Withdraw, Reject or Appeal? #Ireland #Planning

This planning conundrum comes up very frequently and it occurs when you’ve exhausted the Further Information route and the planning permission looks as if it’s going to get rejected. Obtaining planning is getting harder – not easier and has generally Read More …

So where are we now with the Building Regulation/Control changes? @BRegsBlog mentioned

I thought it useful to outline what the current situation is regarding the Building Regulation Amendments: 1. For a one-off house or extension> 40m2 you can either opt-in to S.I No.9 of 2014 (where you need an Assigned Designer/Certifier etc…) Read More …

Online Planning Advice – €50 per question

There has been such a response to THIS POST on the Statute of Limitations and Planning Enforcement that I can no longer provide the response to specific questions free of charge. So, if you have a question on any of Read More …

Cost comparison of UK vs Ireland Building Control (YT name checked on @BRegsBlog )

How much does Building Control cost in the UK (Northern Ireland) for apartments? The UK system of Local Authority inspections is an evolved version of the one we used to have in Ireland before self-certification was introduced in 1992… TO Read More …

Is the new BCAR system what's best for country? Mark Stephens name checked in Irish Examiner

I gave a quick interview over phone for the Irish Examiner last week in THIS ARTICLE in the Irish Examiner on Saturday; my thoughts on the further amendments to the Building Control system.

Opt-in or out? of Building Control – The pro's & cons cc @BRegsBlog

Following on from THIS POST on the ‘Opting-out’ change to S.I.9 of Building Control, here’s a post outlining my personal opinion on the pro’s and cons of whether you should ‘opt-in’ or ‘opt-out’. An explanatory Information Note by the Dept Read More …

Does Passivhaus meet the Building Regulations? @phplusmag @BRegsBlog mentioned

I contributed THIS OPINION PIECE to the BregsForum last year concerning Part L compliance of the Building Regulations. In it I said: “The only way numerically (currently) to assess conformance with Part L of the Building Regulations is via the Read More …