Areas we cover
Building Compliance in Worthing
Local information last checked:
Building compliance questions in Worthing
Which council handles ordinary Worthing planning applications?
Worthing Borough Council is the borough planning authority. Its local plan page excludes the South Downs National Park, where a different planning authority applies. Confirm the site boundary first.
Does every new Worthing house need an energy statement?
The council’s validation list includes all new-build housing under energy and sustainability statements and requires SAP calculations for all new housing. This is not limited to larger housing sites.
What water target applies to new Worthing homes?
Policy DM21 sets a maximum estimated use of 110 litres per person per day for all new residential development. Check the proposed fittings against that figure before ordering them.
Who provides the council building control route in Worthing?
The Adur & Worthing Councils Building Control pages provide application and inspection routes. Read the published service update and arrange inspections at the stages specified in your validation letter.
When does Worthing require energy and sustainability evidence?
Worthing’s Planning Application Validation Requirements, item 16, lists energy and sustainability statements for all new-build housing and major development, describing the latter triggers as above 10 housing units or above 1,000 square metres of commercial floorspace. The same entry requires SAP calculations for all new housing. If your scheme sits on a threshold, confirm the submission scope with the council rather than relying on a project label.
The validation list expects this evidence to address climate mitigation and adaptation, the energy and heating/cooling hierarchies, sustainable construction, flood risk and biodiversity. Commission energy statements alongside sustainability statements where needed. Supply the same plans, dwelling schedule and servicing strategy to each assessor so the reports describe one design, not competing versions of the scheme.
How should Worthing homes address water use and summer heat?
Policy DM21 in the adopted Worthing Local Plan development management chapter requires all new residential development to meet the optional building regulations water-efficiency standard of no more than 110 litres per person per day. Prepare water calculations while choosing sanitary fittings. Record taps, showers, baths and appliances against the proposed specification so later substitutions can be checked against the same target.
Policy DM16 in that adopted chapter calls for appropriate passive measures against excessive solar gain and requires major proposals to demonstrate the cooling hierarchy. A Worthing design with large glazed areas should therefore consider shading and ventilation before depending on mechanical cooling. Overheating assessments can test design choices; agree the assessment method and scope for the particular building rather than assuming the policy names one universal modelling method.
What do Worthing policies DM16 and DM17 mean for the specification?
DM16 in the Worthing Local Plan asks for SAP evidence at design and built stages for new-build housing. It states carbon-reduction benchmarks against Part L 2013, expressly subject to superseding national policy or building regulations. Do not present that historic baseline as the whole current compliance test. Brief SAP calculations with both the planning requirements and the applicable building regulations route identified.
DM17 requires all new housing and major non-residential development to include renewable or low-carbon production meeting at least 10% of predicted total energy requirements after energy-efficiency reductions. Major schemes must justify heating and cooling choices through a feasibility assessment. Under the adopted energy policy, an equipment schedule alone does not explain the hierarchy: the energy statement should show demand reduction, system selection and how the proposed generation contributes.
When will Worthing need a noise assessment?
Item 27 of the Worthing validation requirements covers proposals that may disturb nearby occupiers and noise-sensitive development close to existing noise sources, including railways, major roads and industrial sites. This is a two-way test: consider both the noise a project creates and the noise future occupiers would receive. Noise surveys should be scoped around the relevant sources and receptors before mitigation is fixed.
The same Worthing requirement asks for baseline conditions, likely impacts, mitigation and residual effects, with the survey and assessment methods clearly explained. Where noise limits opening windows, coordinate acoustic design with the ventilation and overheating strategy. Otherwise, an acoustic solution could depend on windows staying closed while the summer comfort assessment assumes they remain open, leaving the submitted design internally inconsistent.
Services in Worthing
New homes and conversions
- Air tightness testing in Worthing
- Sound insulation testing in Worthing
- Ventilation testing in Worthing
- MVHR commissioning in Worthing
- SAP calculations in Worthing
- Home energy model in Worthing
- U-value calculations in Worthing
- Thermal bridging calculations in Worthing
- Condensation risk analysis in Worthing
- Water calculations in Worthing
- Background ventilation calculations in Worthing
- Overheating assessments in Worthing
- CIBSE TM59 and TM52 assessments in Worthing
- Party wall and ceiling design in Worthing
- Party floor design in Worthing
- Regulation 25A reports in Worthing
Commercial and public buildings
Existing buildings and refurbishment
Guides
Request a quote
Tell us about the project once. We will confirm which services apply and send a quote.
All fields marked * are required.