Merton Council describes a regularisation application for completed work carried out without Building Control approval. This can be relevant when unauthorized building work forms part of a dwelling, but the certificate is not a general legal-status document. Merton says it is evidence, not conclusive evidence, that the Building Regulations requirements specified in the certificate were met at the time the work was carried out.
Submit the available project record
Merton asks applicants to provide available drawings and specifications, structural calculations where relevant, and photographs of the work in progress. After the application and charge are submitted, a surveyor may inspect the work and may require parts to be exposed. Photographs can help explain how construction was completed, but the Council does not promise that they will eliminate an inspection or exposure requirement.
If the surveyor identifies a compliance problem, remedial work may be recommended. The Council describes a final inspection before the certificate is issued. The certificate’s evidentiary scope is the requirements it specifies and the work it assessed. It does not establish planning permission, current physical condition, fire or other approvals outside its scope, or that a dwelling is currently authorized for every use.
Keep the approval layers separate
For an existing secondary dwelling, check whether the issue is Building Regulations, planning permission, a permit for later alterations, or a different occupancy or property record. A Merton regularisation certificate should be read alongside the underlying application and specified works; ask the Council what it covers and whether later work needs separate approval.
Consult Merton’s current regularisation guidance for the application, charges and inspection process. The Council’s decision and property file are needed to determine the result for a specific address. For the distinction between planning and technical approval in England, see the England certificates guide.