Building Plans

Part of a building lease for a house in Edward Street, 1799 (Ref. 0038FF)

Building Control Plan, 1882 (Ref. F28)

• Until the mid nineteenth century, building plans were only drawn up for the use of the builder, and were not usually kept. Occasionally, plans and elevations would be drawn on building leases, but apart from these the Record Office holds no building plans before the 1860s.

• From the 1860s, plans had to be submitted to the City Council for approval under local Building Regulations.  Many of these plans have survived and are held in the Record Office. Some are plans of complete new buildings or whole building developments, and some are plans of additions and alterations.

• From the late 1940s, a set of plans also had to be submitted to the Council for approval under planning laws.  The Record Office also holds many of these plans.