The Council of the Isles of Scilly has formally delegated the Building Control Function to Cornwall Council, who has operated this service on behalf of the Council of the Isles of Scilly for many years, so customers should not experience or notice any change as a result.
All enquiries and Building Control applications should be made direct to Cornwall Council, via the following link Cornwall Council which also contains comprehensive information to assist you with all of your Building Control needs. Register of applications search.
You are also able to email your building control applications to buildingcontrol@cornwall.gov.uk.
More general Building Control information can be found on the Planning Portal's Building Control webpage.
Building Regulations Cornwall Council
If you have an existing Building Control application logged with Cornwall Council you will have received your project specific site log which indicates the inspection stages that you should notify us of during construction. Please ensure that you notify us at commencement and when all other inspection stages have been reached. Please get in contact on 01872 224792 if you need a further copy of this or more information.
Please continue to notify us of each inspection stage by sending an email to buildingcontrol@cornwall.gov.uk or ring 01872 224792 (option 1). Please include a phone number in the email so that we can make contact with you about the visit. You will be asked whether anyone at the site has been advised to self-isolate or has recently returned from overseas travel to an affected area. We will decide on a case by case basis whether a site inspection is essential and we will contact you if we are unable to attend. We have WhatsApp capability on our phones so can arrange virtual inspections if necessary, or agree photos etc. As of September 2021, the Building Control Officer is now actively visiting the islands for inspections again.
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DANGEROUS STRUCTURES: Building Control has a responsibility to deal with dangerous buildings as they occur. Buildings may become gradually dangerous due to old age, deterioration or settlement, or by more dramatic causes such as storm, explosion, fire or impact by vehicles. All buildings which appear to be dangerous or unsafe should be reported as soon as possible to Building Control by calling 01872 224792 (24 hours). We will treat the matter with the utmost urgency More information can be found here.
Cornwall Council Building Control aim to provide a high quality tailored service to the businesses and communities of Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly that will provide value for money.
Our vision is to meet our customers’ needs, with an independent, quality, value for money, tailored service that is reliable, accessible and consistent.
Building Control can be contacted via telephone by calling 01872 224792, via email buildingcontrol@cornwall.gov.uk or by post at:
Cornwall Council – Building Control,
PO Box 676,
Threemilestone,
Truro,
Cornwall
TR4 9LD
Please refer to the the Cornwall Council pages for up to date fees and how to make applications.
With all building work, the owner of the property is responsible for meeting the relevant Planning and Building Regulations. Building Regulations apply to most building work so it is important to find out if you need permission. Further information can be found at Cornwall Council
Your Building Control Officer, Peter Keam is not based on the islands but visits on average every two weeks. Please contact us via the above details if you wish to request a site visit or if you need to get in touch to discuss a proposed project or any work in progress.
Non-Mains Drainage
There are a very limited number of public drainage systems to connect to on the Isles of Scilly meaning that private drainage arrangements such as septic tanks are often necessary. In addition to Building regulations requirements under Part H, guidance on the disposal of sewage where no mains drainage is available under The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2014 can be found here and there is a leaflet on small sewerage treatment systems.
Listed Buildings
Whilst all property and homes need to be safe and comply with the Building Regulations, there may be elements important to a listed building that you may not be able to change. We advise anyone with a listed building to speak to the Planning Department if they want or need to make changes to a building on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) as internal or external works may require Planning Permission and/or Listed Building Consent. This includes all Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments. Historic England provide guidance on the building regulations and you are advised not to make changes to elements of the building that are important to its significance.