Part O Approach Approved by Building Control

Developers have recently been contending with ambiguous wording in Building Regulations Part O to find compliant overheating mitigation strategies. Hodkinson Consultancy now have set a precedent in achieving Building Control sign-off across multiple projects.

Developing a Part O compliant strategy involves selecting sample units for modelling and agreeing acceptable security measures for easily accessible units. Ways in which we have addressed these challenges includes:

• Utilising a combination of simplified and dynamic methods (i.e., dynamic modelling only required for units that have not passed via the simplified method);
• Unit selections that are representative of a development, including those aligned with selections common for planning compliance (i.e., 10% of units); and
• Utilising 100 mm lockable restrictors as a security measure where window bars or lockable louvres are not desirable.

Due to the ambiguities of Part O, separate Building Control bodies may interpret these issues differently and we would therefore recommend appointing a specialist at the early planning stages to avoid pushback at a later date.