Things to be looking at now you’re considering a practice refit !
Asbestos
All non-domestic buildings now have a duty to manage asbestos as set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Therefore, it is a legal requirement that you / the building owner has either an asbestos register that can be produced for contractors working in the building or if this isn’t available then a management asbestos survey will be required at least 8 weeks prior to work commencing. If the management survey highlights that there is the presence of asbestos, then a refurbishment survey will also need to be carried out to decide how best to deal with the asbestos.
If asbestos is found and needs removing, this can possibly delay your refit commencement date so this should be done as a
matter of priority.
The Health & Safety Executive website will give you further information but by law we cannot carried out a refit whereby we are disturbing any part of the structure of the building without knowing that is safe to do so.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg223.pdf
Electrical
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 imposes a duty of care on employers to manage their electrical systems and products so as not to cause death and injury to others. The regulations cover the design, construction, operation and maintenance of these systems.
To comply with them, the employer must monitor the ongoing condition of their electrical systems through regular inspection and testing to ensure that the systems are safe to use.
It is recommended that this testing is carried out every 5 years for commercial properties.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/635/contents/made
Finance
Have you considered how you are going to be financing your project? Have you talked to your bank and to a finance company to see which is the best way forward for you?
We suggest you speak to your accountant or an optical finance specialist such as Performance Finance Ltd so they may consider the implications to your VAT de minimis.
Also check that a provider will adhere to the terms & conditions for deposits required.
http://www.performancefinance.co.uk/
Building Regulations
If you are carrying out building work personally, it is very important that you understand how the building regulatory system and material applies to your situation as you are responsible for making sure that the work complies with the building regulations.
Some kinds of building projects are exempt from the Regulations, however generally if you are planning to carry out 'Building Work' as defined in Regulation 3 of the Building Regulations, then it must comply with the Building Regulations. This means that the Regulations will probably apply if you want to:
A) Put up a new building
B) Extend or alter an existing one
C) Provide services and/or fittings in a building such as washing and sanitary facilities, hot water cylinders, foul water and rainwater drainage, replacement windows, and fuel burning appliances of any type.
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200128/building_control
Planning Permissions
You’ll probably need planning permission if you want to:-
1) Build something new
2) Make a major change to your building, eg building an extension or possibly installing air conditioning units*
3) Change the use of your building **
* Subject to local planning laws.
**It is generally the case that you will need planning permission to change from one use class to another, although there are
exceptions where the legislation does allow some changes between uses.
For example, A3 uses can change to A1 uses without the need for planning permission. However, if you are proposing to change the use of a premises or land, you should always seek advice from the local planning authority to confirm whether planning
permission is required or not.
https://www.gov.uk/planning-permission-england-wales/when-you-need-it
Listed Building Status
Do you know if your business is in a listed building? If it is then you need to notify anyone carrying out construction works on
the property as it may affect what work you’re having done. The older a building is, the more likely it is to be listed. All buildings built before 1700 which survive in anything like their original condition are listed.
You can check if your building is listed by going onto the Listed Building Online register:-
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/ For England
Portal.historicenvironment.scot For Scotland
If it is listed then any contractors may need listed building consent which can take up to 8 weeks.
Asbestos
All non-domestic buildings now have a duty to manage asbestos as set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Therefore, it is a legal requirement that you / the building owner has either an asbestos register that can be produced for contractors working in the building or if this isn’t available then a management asbestos survey will be required at least 8 weeks prior to work commencing. If the management survey highlights that there is the presence of asbestos, then a refurbishment survey will also need to be carried out to decide how best to deal with the asbestos.
If asbestos is found and needs removing, this can possibly delay your refit commencement date so this should be done as a
matter of priority.
The Health & Safety Executive website will give you further information but by law we cannot carried out a refit whereby we are disturbing any part of the structure of the building without knowing that is safe to do so.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg223.pdf
Electrical
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 imposes a duty of care on employers to manage their electrical systems and products so as not to cause death and injury to others. The regulations cover the design, construction, operation and maintenance of these systems.
To comply with them, the employer must monitor the ongoing condition of their electrical systems through regular inspection and testing to ensure that the systems are safe to use.
It is recommended that this testing is carried out every 5 years for commercial properties.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/635/contents/made
Finance
Have you considered how you are going to be financing your project? Have you talked to your bank and to a finance company to see which is the best way forward for you?
We suggest you speak to your accountant or an optical finance specialist such as Performance Finance Ltd so they may consider the implications to your VAT de minimis.
Also check that a provider will adhere to the terms & conditions for deposits required.
http://www.performancefinance.co.uk/
Building Regulations
If you are carrying out building work personally, it is very important that you understand how the building regulatory system and material applies to your situation as you are responsible for making sure that the work complies with the building regulations.
Some kinds of building projects are exempt from the Regulations, however generally if you are planning to carry out 'Building Work' as defined in Regulation 3 of the Building Regulations, then it must comply with the Building Regulations. This means that the Regulations will probably apply if you want to:
A) Put up a new building
B) Extend or alter an existing one
C) Provide services and/or fittings in a building such as washing and sanitary facilities, hot water cylinders, foul water and rainwater drainage, replacement windows, and fuel burning appliances of any type.
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200128/building_control
Planning Permissions
You’ll probably need planning permission if you want to:-
1) Build something new
2) Make a major change to your building, eg building an extension or possibly installing air conditioning units*
3) Change the use of your building **
* Subject to local planning laws.
**It is generally the case that you will need planning permission to change from one use class to another, although there are
exceptions where the legislation does allow some changes between uses.
For example, A3 uses can change to A1 uses without the need for planning permission. However, if you are proposing to change the use of a premises or land, you should always seek advice from the local planning authority to confirm whether planning
permission is required or not.
https://www.gov.uk/planning-permission-england-wales/when-you-need-it
Listed Building Status
Do you know if your business is in a listed building? If it is then you need to notify anyone carrying out construction works on
the property as it may affect what work you’re having done. The older a building is, the more likely it is to be listed. All buildings built before 1700 which survive in anything like their original condition are listed.
You can check if your building is listed by going onto the Listed Building Online register:-
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/ For England
Portal.historicenvironment.scot For Scotland
If it is listed then any contractors may need listed building consent which can take up to 8 weeks.