A brief history about why we need Building Control
The Great Fire of London in 1666 was the single most significant event, which has shaped legislation of today. The rapid growth of the fire through timber buildings built next to each other highlighted the need to consider the possible spread of fire between properties when the rebuilding work was done. So the first building construction legislation was therefore born in 1667 requiring buildings to have some form of fire resistance.
Two hundred years on, the Industrial Revolution had meant poor living and working conditions in ever expanding, densely populated urban areas. Outbreaks of Cholera and other serious diseases, through poor sanitation, damp conditions and lack of ventilation forced the Government to take action.
Building Control took on the greater role of Health and Safety through the first Public Health Act in 1875. This Act had two major revisions in 1936 and 1961, leading to the first set of national building standards, The Building Regulations 1965.
