Part R Building Regulations & Approved Document R Explained
A plain-English guide to Part R for new homes: gigabit-ready physical infrastructure (RA1), the gigabit-capable connection and £2,000 cost cap (RA2), the exemptions, and how a connectivity plan shows Building Control you comply.
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Part R of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010 covers infrastructure for electronic communications: in practice, making sure buildings are ready for fast broadband. The statutory guidance on how to comply is Approved Document R, published by the government in two volumes.
The current rules for new homes came from the Building etc. (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 and took effect on 26 December 2022, subject to transitional arrangements for projects already under way. Since then, every new dwelling in England has had to be built with gigabit-ready physical infrastructure and, subject to a cost cap, a connection to a gigabit-capable network.
A gigabit-capable network is one capable of download speeds of at least 1,000 Mbps. In most cases that means full fibre to the home, but the requirements are technology-neutral, so other technologies that meet the performance standard can be used.
The two volumes of Approved Document R
| Volume | Covers | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 (2022 edition) | New dwellings: houses, flats, self-builds and dwellings in mixed-use developments | RA1 gigabit-ready physical infrastructure; RA2 connection to a gigabit-capable network |
| Volume 2 (2022 edition) | Other new buildings, and existing buildings (including existing homes) undergoing major renovation works | R1 high-speed-ready in-building physical infrastructure |
If you are building new homes, Volume 1 is the one that matters. It sets out RA1 and RA2, explains the exemptions, describes what goes into a connectivity plan (Section 3) and includes a model form connectivity plan in Appendix B.
Gigabit-ready physical infrastructure
RA1 requires the physical infrastructure that will carry a gigabit connection: ducts, chambers, access points and in-building routes. It runs from the network termination point in each dwelling to the network distribution point, where the operator's network ends. That might be a cabinet, a wall box or a pole, and it may be on or off site.
Buildings with more than one dwelling also need a common access point, with in-building infrastructure running to each flat.
Where the developer has no right to install infrastructure over land between the site and the distribution point, RA1 takes a "tiered" approach. The infrastructure goes as close as is reasonably practicable to the distribution point, or to a likely future location for one within a two-year period, or in some cases only to the building's access point. Approved Document R explains each case with diagrams.
RA1 still applies even if no gigabit connection is installed, so the home is ready when one becomes available.
Connection to a gigabit-capable network
RA2 requires each new dwelling to be given a working connection to a gigabit-capable public network, from the distribution point to the network termination point. It does not require the developer to arrange a broadband contract with an internet provider for the occupier.
If a gigabit connection cannot be secured within the cost cap, the developer must provide the next fastest connection that can be, in this order:
- a high-speed network connection (at least 30 Mbps), then
- a connection meeting the universal service (USO) standard.
If none of these can be secured within the cap, RA2 does not apply, but RA1 infrastructure is still required.
How the £2,000 cost cap works
The cost cap is £2,000 per dwelling, applied to the developer's cost of securing the RA2 connection, after any contribution from the network operator has been deducted.
Included in the cap: VAT, and the cost of providing the connection from the network termination point to the distribution point (direct costs or costs of subcontracting to operators).
Excluded from the cap: the cost of installing RA1 gigabit-ready infrastructure, the developer's administrative costs (including preparing the connectivity plan and Building Control fees), and the occupier's broadband service charges.
To rely on the cap being exceeded, you must have invited at least two suitable network operators to offer a connection, and have their quotes, refusals or evidence that they did not respond within the period allowed. If you haven't invited two, you are treated as able to get the connection within the cap.
Per new dwelling, including VAT, after operator contributions. It does not cover RA1 infrastructure or the cost of a connectivity plan.
What does Part R apply to?
RA1 and RA2 apply to the erection of a new dwelling, or of a building containing one or more dwellings. Approved Document R Volume 1 lists new housing developments, self-build new dwellings and new dwellings in mixed-use developments (including live/work units).
They do not apply to new dwellings created through a material change of use (for example most barn or office conversions), to existing buildings undergoing major renovation, or to wholly non-residential buildings. Those may instead fall under requirement R1 in Volume 2.
In scope of RA1 & RA2
Part R exemptions and exclusions
Approved Document R Volume 1 says RA1 and RA2 do not apply to:
- wholly non-residential buildings, and existing buildings undergoing major renovation works
- new dwellings created through a material change of use
- rooms for residential purposes in hostels, hotels, boarding houses, schools, hospitals and similar
- buildings occupied by the Ministry of Defence or the armed forces, or for national security purposes
- buildings exempt under Schedule 2 to the Building Regulations.
RA1 also has an isolated area exemption: where even a USO-standard connection would cost more than the cap, and the prospect of any relevant connection is too remote to justify the infrastructure. You must give evidence for it, and it is applied case by case.
Separately, RA2 is modified or switched off where connections cannot be secured within the cost cap, as described above. Any exemption you rely on has to be evidenced in Part B of the connectivity plan.
The connectivity plan
Before the relevant building work starts, when you give notice or apply to a building control body, you must provide particulars of the network connection to be provided and evidence for any exemption you rely on. Approved Document R calls this the connectivity plan.
Part A shows where the gigabit-ready infrastructure will go and why it ends where it does: at the distribution point, as close as reasonably practicable, at a likely future location, or at the access point.
Part B is completed only when an exemption is relied on. It contains the operator quotes or refusals and confirms what connection, if any, will be installed instead.
Useful evidence includes site layout plans, schematic diagrams of duct routes, written correspondence with operators and estimated timescales. A model form template is in Appendix B, and you can use or adapt it.
What a connectivity plan includes
What Building Control look for
A building control body assesses the particulars you submit, and any exemption evidence, when deciding whether the work complies. In practice they want to see a clear infrastructure route from each dwelling's network termination point, a named operator and connection type, and (where the cost cap or an exemption is relied on) proper evidence from at least two suitable operators. Read more in our guide to what Building Control need for Part R.
Check scope early
Confirm the project is a new dwelling under RA1/RA2, or whether Volume 2 applies instead.
Contact operators
Invite at least two suitable network operators to offer a connection, and keep their replies.
Submit the plan
Send the connectivity plan with your Building Regulations application or notice, before work starts.
Part R FAQs
What is Approved Document R?
Approved Document R is the government's statutory guidance on Part R of the Building Regulations in England. Volume 1 (2022 edition) covers new dwellings and requirements RA1 and RA2. Volume 2 covers requirement R1 for other new buildings and major renovations.
What is gigabit-ready infrastructure?
It is the physical infrastructure, such as ducts, chambers, access points and in-building routes, intended to host a network capable of at least 1,000 Mbps. Under RA1 it runs from the network termination point in each new dwelling towards the operator's network distribution point.
When did the Part R requirements for new homes come into force?
On 26 December 2022, subject to transitional arrangements for some projects already in the system.
Does the £2,000 cost cap include VAT?
Yes. VAT is included in the costs assessed against the £2,000 per dwelling cap. Network operator contributions are deducted, and RA1 infrastructure and administrative costs are excluded.
Does Part R apply to barn or office conversions?
Requirements RA1 and RA2 do not apply to new dwellings created through a material change of use. Conversion works that amount to a major renovation may instead need to meet requirement R1 in Approved Document R Volume 2.
Do I have to use the model connectivity plan?
No. The model form in Appendix B can be used or adapted. What matters is that the particulars and any exemption evidence are provided to the building control body.
Sources
This guide summarises the official guidance and is not a substitute for it. Always check the current documents and your building control body's requirements.
Official references: Approved Document R (GOV.UK) and New build connectivity: information for developers.
More guides: self-build & single dwellings · conversions & change of use · template vs professional plan · what Building Control need · FAQs
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