Building standards - Futures Board Programme: workstream information

Compliance plan approach workstream

We are developing a new approach to compliance for the building standards system in Scotland. The new approach is designed to:

• minimise the risk of completed buildings failing to comply with the building regulations and approved building warrant plans 
• improve procedural compliance to support the delivery of safer buildings and legal occupation of buildings
• support the relevant person (normally the building owner/developer) to control the work on site to comply with building regulations and the approved building warrant plans and the building regulations, and to provide supporting evidence
• ensure that planned local authority verification inspections, checks and evidence within the approved building warrant compliance plan are fully achieved

The new compliance plan (CP) approach will define and implement (initially through guidance and then through legislation) an appropriate and robust building warrant compliance assurance regime. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the duty imposed on the “relevant person” to control the work on site and certify compliance with building regulations (by signing and submitting a completion certificate to the verifier) is being managed robustly during design and construction.

The compliance plan approach has been trialled and developed on the Dunfermline Learning Campus in Fife which has been used to inform the introduction of an early adopters (EA) scheme (introduced in March 2024). The scheme is aimed at owners/developers (Relevant Person) who are legally responsible for delivering compliant buildings within building warrant projects. The scheme will be used to test and further develop the compliance guidance, processes and legislation required to deliver compliant buildings. The initial EA scheme is aimed solely at new build high risk building (HRB) projects. For this purpose, HRBs are defined as:

• domestic buildings or residential buildings with any storey at a height of more than 11 metres above the ground
• educational establishments (schools, colleges and universities), community/sport centres
• hospitals

Read more on the scheme and how to apply to become an early adopter. We are taking forward work to support the introduction of the Compliance Plan Manager (CPM) role within HRB building warrant projects with regular engagement with the insurance industry. We are also closely working with stakeholders to investigate a Compliance Plan Manager Accreditation Scheme. Research will be carried out on compliance in the low-rise, high-volume housing sector. We will develop key performance indicators to support change.