http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/55/section/32Building Act 1984
An Act to consolidate certain enactments concerning building and buildings and related matters.1984-10-31texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-03-06Expert Participation2026-01-27
Building Act 1984s. 131ABuilding Safety Act 2022s. 59s. 170(4)(c)Building Act 1984s. 95(5)Building Safety Act 2022s. 60(2)s. 170(4)(c)Building Act 1984s. 131BBuilding Safety Act 2022s. 60(3)s. 170(4)(c)Building Act 1984Sch. 1 para. 7A(4)Building Safety Act 2022Sch. 5 para. 83(5)s. 170(4)(b)(c)reg. 2(n)(xxxiii)reg. 2(d)(xi)Sch.reg. 348- 12Building Act 1984s. 44(11)Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004s. 3(8)s. 11(3)Building Act 1984s. 32(3)The Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025reg. 54(6)(a)reg. 1(5)(6)reg. 1(2)Building Act 1984ActThe Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025Rheoliadau Adeiladu etc. (Diwygio) (Rhif 2) (Cymru) 2025reg. 21reg. 1(2)Building Act 1984s. 32The Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025Rheoliadau Adeiladu etc. (Diwygio) (Rhif 2) (Cymru) 2025reg. 22reg. 1(2)Building Act 1984s. 1(1A)(d)Infrastructure Act 2015s. 37(2)s. 57(5)(a)Building Act 1984Sch. 1 para. 7AInfrastructure Act 2015s. 37(4)s. 57(5)(a)
Part I Building Regulations Lapse of <Repeal ChangeId="key-4570061c338de44a135ef07d20885cdd-1695825311269" CommentaryRef="key-4570061c338de44a135ef07d20885cdd" RetainText="true" SubstitutionRef="key-4570061c338de44a135ef07d20885cdd-1695825311270">deposit of plans</Repeal> <Addition ChangeId="key-4570061c338de44a135ef07d20885cdd-1695825311270" CommentaryRef="key-4570061c338de44a135ef07d20885cdd">building control approval</Addition> <Repeal ChangeId="key-fecc468ac8221a07beeee6554fda2ffc-1682415605471" CommentaryRef="key-fecc468ac8221a07beeee6554fda2ffc" RetainText="true" SubstitutionRef="key-fecc468ac8221a07beeee6554fda2ffc-1682415605472">Lapse of deposit of plans.</Repeal><Addition ChangeId="key-fecc468ac8221a07beeee6554fda2ffc-1682415605472" CommentaryRef="key-fecc468ac8221a07beeee6554fda2ffc">Lapse of building control approval</Addition>321Where plans of any proposed work have, in accordance with building regulations, been deposited with a local authority, and—athe plans have been passed by the authority, orbnotice of rejection of the plans has not been given within the relevant period from their deposit,and the work to which the plans relate has not been commenced within three years from the deposit of the plans, the local authority may, at any time before the work is commenced, by notice to the person by whom or on whose behalf the plans were deposited, or other the owner for the time being of the land to which the plans relate, declare that the deposit of the plans is of no effect.2Where a notice has been given under subsection (1) above, this Act and the building regulations shall, as respects the proposed work, have effect as if no plans had been deposited.1This section applies where—aan application for building control approval in respect of any work is made on any day (“the relevant day”), andbthe application is granted.2Where—athe work relates to one building, andbthe work is not commenced within 3 years from the end of the relevant day,the relevant provisions have effect as if the application had not been made (and the approval had not been given).3Where—athe work relates to more than one building, andbthe work relating to one or more of the buildings (“the relevant work”) is not commenced within 3 years from the end of the relevant day,the relevant provisions have effect in relation to those buildings and the relevant work as if the application had not been made (and the approval had not been given).4In subsection (1) the reference to an application for building control approval is to an application for approval of a kind mentioned in paragraph 1B(2)(a) of Schedule 1.5In this section “the relevant provisions” means this Act and regulations made under it except the following provisions and any regulations made under them—asections 56, 56A, 56B and 91A (records and registers etc);b
section 105B (fees and charges).6Building regulations may make provision about when work, or work relating to a building, is to be regarded as commenced for the purposes of this section.Pt. 1 (ss. 1-46) restricted by Channel Tunnel Act 1987 (c. 53, SIF 102), ss. 31(1), 45, Sch. 7 Pt. VI para. 2Pt. 1 (ss. 1-46) modified (1.4.1991) by National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19, SIF 113:2), s. 60(2), Sch. 8 para. 18(1)Pt. 1 (ss. 1-46) modified (17.7.1992) by S.I. 1992/1732, art. 4(1)Pt. 1 (ss. 1-46) excluded (18. 12. 1996) by 1996 c. 61, s. 38, Sch. 10 para.7PPt. I (ss. 1-46) excluded (26.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/1149, art. 4(5) (subject to art. 1(3))Words in s. 32 cross-heading substituted (1.10.2023 except in relation to W.) by Building Safety Act 2022 (c. 30), s. 170(4)(b)(c), Sch. 5 para. 29; S.I. 2023/993, reg. 2(n)(xi) (with reg. 3)Pt. 1 (ss. 1-46) excluded (22.7.2008) by Crossrail Act 2008 (c. 18), Sch. 14 para. 8Pt. 1 (ss. 1-46) excluded (23.2.2017) by High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017 (c. 7), s. 70(1), Sch. 22 para. 1Pt. 1 excluded (11.2.2021) by High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Act 2021 (c. 2), s. 64(1), Sch. 22 para. 1(1)(a) (with Sch. 22 para. 1(2)(3))S. 32 substituted (6.4.2023 for specified purposes except in relation to W., 5.9.2023 for W. for specified purposes, 1.10.2023 in so far as not already in force except in relation to W.) by Building Safety Act 2022 (c. 30), ss. 36(2), 170(4)(b)(c); S.I. 2023/362, reg. 3(1)(o); S.I. 2023/914, reg. 2(b)(iii); S.I. 2023/993, reg. 2(g) (with regs. 3, 5)Pt. 1 (ss. 1-46) excluded (24.9.2014) by The Thames Water Utilities Limited (Thames Tideway Tunnel) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/2384), art. 1, Sch. 19 Pt. 1 para. 3Pt. 1 excluded (4.10.2024) by The National Grid (Bramford to Twinstead Reinforcement) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/958), art. 1, Sch. 15 para. 4 (with art. 40, Sch. 14)