West Lothian Council delivers

Building Standards

 

Information available on this page:

 

• Purpose of Building Standards
• Building Warrants
• Completion Certificates
• How to contact staff
• Letters of Comfort
   

 

Purpose of Building Standards

The main purpose of the Building Standards Service is to make sure that buildings comply with the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 which became law on the 1st May 2005.

If an application for building warrant was made prior to this date then the old Building (Scotland) Act 1959, and its procedures, still apply to these applications.

The new legislation is concerned with:

• health, safety, welfare and convenience of persons in or about buildings and of others who may be affected by buildings or matters connected with buildings,
• furthering the conservation of fuel and power,
• furthering the achievement of sustainable development and
• the safety of the public from defective or dangerous building
   

The main role of the Building Standards service under this legislation is to carry out the following duties:

• processing applications for builing warrant,
• inspecting and witnessing the testing of new or altered drainage,
• verifying completion certificate submissions,
• investigating reports of buildings which may be dangerous,
• investigating reports of unauthorised work being carried out to buildings, and
• investigating reports of buildings that may be in a state of serious disrepair.

The service also has a major role in ensuring the health & safety of the general public in West Lothian through its work in the following areas:

• processing of applications for "Letters of Comfort",
• inspection of licensed premises on behalf of the Licensing board,
• inspection and licensing of sports grounds,
• inspection and licensing of raised structures and
• inspection and licensing of places of public entertainment.

Further information on the new Building (Scotland) Act 2003 and the building standards system can be obtained on the 'Scottish Building Standards Agency' website (new page). (new window)

   

Building Warrants

A building warrant is the legal permission granted by West Lothian Council allowing you to start building work (including demolition) to your property. If the work you intend to carry out requires a building warrant  and you start the work before this is obtained then you are breaking the law.

If you wish to build or make any alterations to your property you should first check with Building Standards to see if a building warrant is required. Application forms and guidance notes on how to apply for a building warrant can be viewed or downloaded from our Building Standards downloadable forms and guidance page (new page).

 

Completion Certificates

A completion certificate is the legal document allowing a building to be occupied.

The completion certificate is accepted by us after we have carried out an inspection to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that the works comply with the building regulations.

Application forms and guidance notes on applying for a completion certificate can be viewed or downloaded from our Building Standards downloadable forms and guidance page (new page).

Warning

Altough we may inspect the work while it is in progress this inspection is to check that the warrant is being complied with. However, please be very aware the we are not responsible for checking the quality of work done or supervising the builders employed. Supervision of the building work should be the responsibility of whichever person is appointed by you for that purpose.

 

Building Standards Contact Information

You can find the building standards office on the ground floor of County Building, High Street, Linlithgow, EH49 7EZ.
The office is open from 08:30am to 5:00pm Monday to Thursday and 08:30am to 4:00pm on a Friday.

A duty officer is available at all times when the building is open.

West Lothian Council
Building Standards
County Buildings
High Street
Linlithgow
West Lothian
EH49 7EZ  

Find us on Multi Map (new screen)       

General Tel: 01506 775222
General Fax: 01506 775255
General e-mail: dbc@westlothian.gov.uk

   

Jim Bruce, Building Standards Manager, Tel: 01506 775205

jim.bruce@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Jim McGinley, Senior Building Standards Officer, Tel: 01506 775413

jim.mcginley@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Stephen Beveridge, Building Standards Officer, Tel: 01506 775414

stephen.beveridge@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Donald Campbell, Building Standards Officer, Tel: 01506 775229

donald.campbell@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Stuart Currie, Building Standard Officer, Tel: 01506 775227

stuart.currie@westlothian.gov.uk   

 

Scott Davidson, Building Standards Officer, Tel: 01506 775417

scott.davidson@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Ken Donoghue, Building Standards Officer, Tel: 01506 775228

kenneth.donoghue@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Michael Ingram, Building Standards Officer, Tel: 01506 775418

michael.ingram@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Craig Johnstone, Building Standards Officer, Tel: 01506 775415

craig.johnstone@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Chris Rae, Assistant Building Standards Officer, Tel: 01506 775416

chris.rae@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Laura Williamson, Assistant Building Standards Officer, Tel: 01506 775226

laura.williamson@westlothian.gov.uk

 

Judi Ferguson, Building Site Inspector, Tel: 01506 775222

judy.ferguson@westlothian.gov.uk  

 

Stephen Swan, Building Site Inspector, Tel: 01506 775222

stephen.swan@westlothian.gov.uk

 

 

 

"Letters of Comfort"

A "letter of comfort" is a letter from us which states that action will not be taken in respect of specified works which have either:

1. been completed before the 1st May 2005 without the required building warrant being obtained (Unauthorised), or
2. been carried out with a building warrant , but no certificate of completion was obtained before this building warrant expired (Expired), or
3. been carried out as exempt works and no permission was required (Exempt), or
4. replacement windows were installed for which no building warrant was required (Replacement Window Survey).

and we are fully satisfied that the completed works comply with the Building Regulations.

This letter is only issued after a satisfactory inspection has been carried out and any remedial works that were required have been satisfactorily completed to our satisfaction.

Application forms and guidance notes on how to apply for a "letter of comfort" can be viewed or downloaded from our Building Standards downloadable forms and guidance page (new page).

Warning

This is not a replacement for the legal requirement to obtain a building warrant.

Adequate detailed drawings showing full compliance are still required along with the exposure of any part of the completed works that is deemed necessary to confirm compliance.

Dependent on the works carried out we may still have to consider taking legal action against you.