In an apparent imposition of double standards, Scotland’s own building regulations are (according the BRE in Watford, the UK government’s grant administrators) to be replaced English Building Regulations.
Or perhaps both regulations will operate in parallel. Nobody in authority seems too sure. This raises the question of whose regulations, if there is a difference, should take precedent if they disagre with each other (and they do). Our understanding is that one set of National Rules must apply – under the EU law of subsidiarity. But BRE seem to dispute this.
The confusion has apparently occurred because the solar panel grants rules for UK were written rasther hastily in England. The rules only refer to building regulations for England and Wales. They apparently impose them on elsewehere: on Scotland and Nothern Ireland. But both these countries write their own building regulations.
“I have raised this anomaly with BRE in the past but unfortunately it was not taken on board” commented Barry Johnston of Solartwin. “Indeed Scotland’s bulding regulations are newer than England’s. They allow Solartwin to be installed in Scotland, unlike the older and rather market limiting English Regulations, which require Solartwin to apply for a special exemption. This costs time and money, both of which are bad bews for our customers.”
If any Scotttish readers would like to ask the their MSP or the Scottish Executive whether English building regulations can (or should) apply in Scotland, we would be very interested in reading their reply!
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