Effective from 1 May 2025, the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (the 2025 Regulations) introduce significant updates to Ireland’s building control framework. These amendments aim to enhance fire safety, clarify definitions, and align with recent regulatory changes. Property owners and developers should be aware of the following key changes:
1. Expanded Definitions
The regulations now distinguish between “industrial building – high hazard” and “industrial building – normal hazard.” High hazard buildings are those containing materials or processes that pose a significant fire risk, such as highly flammable substances or operations that could lead to rapid fire spread. Normal hazard buildings encompass all other industrial facilities not classified as high hazard.
Similarly, storage facilities are categorized into “high hazard” and “normal hazard” based on the nature of stored goods and associated fire risks.
A new definition of "Care Facility Buildings" includes establishments like hospitals, nursing homes, and schools where individuals reside or receive care, emphasizing the need for stringent safety measures in such environments.
The term "Material Change of Use" now encompasses a broader range of scenarios, including changes to uses such as day centres, hotels, offices, shops, shopping centres, and both types of industrial and storage buildings.
There is also a revised definition of “place of assembly” under the 2025 Regulations which clarifies and expands those areas which are to be considered as such but no building will be treated as a place of assembly solely because it is a building to which members of the public are occasionally admitted.
2. Mandatory Compliance Requirements
The Regulations now expand the requirements in the following areas:
- Commencement Notices: now required for material alterations to storage buildings, even when a Fire Safety Certificate is not mandated.
- Fire Safety Certificates: now necessary for:
- Material alterations to storage buildings involving subdivision or additional floor area.
- Material changes of use to industrial or storage buildings, regardless of hazard classification.
- Disability Access Certificates: now required for storage buildings undergoing subdivision or expansion, ensuring accessibility standards are met.
Property owners and developers, as well as those engaged as contractors, designers, and project and facilities managers should familiarise themselves with the new changes introduced by the 2025 Regulations to ensure compliance with the technical and legal requirements. The nature of the changes imposed will result in more alterations and premises generally being captured by the requirement to obtain compliance documentation under the Building Regulations and ancillary certification.
For more information or advice on how the Regulations will impact current and future projects, please contact Aisling Farrell or your usual contact in Beauchamps.
