Interpretation

(1) For the purposes of this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions shall have the meaning hereby assigned to them“addition” means an extension to the structure of a building; “applicant” in relation to any permit issued under this Act, means an applicant for the permit; “architect” means a person registered under the Professional Architects (Registration) Act; CAP. 326.02. “Authority” means the organisation established under section 4 with responsibility for the administration of the Act; “builder” means a person engaged as a contractor or otherwise in the erection, construction, alteration, improvement, maintenance or repair of buildings or works incidental to any of the foregoing; “building” means any structure used or intended to be used for human habitation, work, interaction, or other occupation whether permanent or temporary, and every part thereof, 6 including any fixture thereto, not being a structure or erection consisting of or ancillary to– (a) a road, whether public or private, including in the case of a public road but not in the case of a private road any bridge or culvert on which the road is carried; (b) a sewer or water main that is, or is to be, vested in a public authority; (c) an aerodrome runway; (d) a railway line; (e) a telegraph line and its supports; (f) an electricity supply line and its supports that is or is to be vested in a public authority; (g) a reservoir that is or is to be vested in a public (h) a vehicle or craft that is not used or adapted for use as a class of building or structure classified under the National Building Code; (i) a mobile home, caravan or similar transportable structure that- (i) is not used for long-term habitation; and (ii) is readily transportable without being disassembled or removed from associated components including a footing, pier, stump, rigid annex or other thing to which it is attached other than for structural purposes; 7 (j) an outhouse; (k) a farm structure not used for human habitation and being no less than one hundred feet from human habitation; (l) a storage shed; “Building Inspector” means an engineering or architectural technician appointed under section 11 to assist the Director in the performance of his duties or to assist a Building Unit in the performance of its duties; “building permit” means a permit for the construction or demolition of a building issued under section 13; “Building Unit” means a Building Unit appointed under section 3; “dangerous building” means a building rendered unfit for human or other habitation or which constitutes a danger to public safety by reason of the building, or anything attached to the building, being in such a state as to cause risk or injury either to the occupier or owner of such building or to any neighbouring building or to the public; “Director” means the Director of Building Control appointed under section 9 of this Act and charged with the administration of the affairs of the Authority; “engineer” means a person registered under the Professional Engineers (Registration) Act; CAP.326.03. “farm structure” means a structure used for agricultural purposes including a coop, corral, irrigation trough and water trough; “fence” means an enclosure or wall, not exceeding six feet, that surrounds a plot of land; 8 “existing building” means a building erected or in the course of erection at the time when the building regulations come into force in the area in which the building stands, or a building the plans of which have been approved by the Building Unit at that time; “habitable room” means a room used or intended to be used for living, eating or sleeping, and “habitation” shall be construed accordingly; “hazardous materials” means any material scheduled by the Authority as a hazardous material and includes all substances for the storage or use of which special legislation exists such as explosives, petroleum and other highly flammable liquids; “hazardous process” means any process scheduled by the Authority as being a hazardous process and includes processes involving hazardous materials; “house” includes any part of a building, being a part which is occupied or intended to be occupied as a separate dwelling, and in particular includes a flat; “local authority” means– (a) in respect of Belize City, the Belize City Council constituted under the Belize City Council Act; (b) in respect of the City of Belmopan, the Belmopan City Council constituted under the Belmopan City Council Act; (c) in respect of any other town, the Town Council of that town as constituted under the Town Councils Act; “Building Unit” means the Building Authority reporting to the local authorities and charged with the responsibility of 9 approving building plans and issuing building and occupancy permits on behalf of the Authority; “long-term habitation” means not more than 3 months; “Minister” means the Minister responsible for housing; “municipal boundary” means the limits of a city or a town established by the Belize City Council Act, the Belmopan City Council Act or the Town Councils Act, as the case may be; “new building” means a building other than an existing “occupancy permit” means a permit for the occupancy of a building issued under this Act; “occupier” of a building means the person in temporary or subordinate possession of the building in respect of which the word is used or of any part of such building; “operations” includes operations carried out in relation to the enclosure and preparation of the site of a building; “owner” of a building includes the person for the time being receiving the rent of the building in connection with which the word is used, whether on his own account or as agent or trustee for any other person or persons, or who would receive the same if such building were let to a tenant; “person” includes a corporation or incorporated body; “plot” means all that piece of land which belongs or will belong exclusively to the building; “public building” means a school, college church, chapel, hospital, theatre, public hall, concert room, community centre, any facility designated by the Minister as a large sports facility and any facility officially designated as an emergency facility 10 by the National Emergency Management Organization; “street” includes any public road, bridge, lane, alley or footway and any drain in connection therewith, and any land reserved for a future public road or footway and any drain in connection therewith; “rural area” means any place outside of a municipal boundary, as per the Belize City Council Act, Belmopan City Act and Town Council Acts; CAP. 85. CAP. 86. CAP. 87. “storage shed” means a structure used exclusively for the storage of tools, materials, and equipment and not used for human habitation; “structure” includes any building, or any part thereof, and any wall or fence or any other structure whatever, and everything fixed to or projecting from any building or any wall or fence or other structure; “Technical Manager” means the Technical Manager of a Building Unit appointed under section 11; “Tribunal” means the Tribunal established under section 22. (2) Any reference in this Act to a building shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed to include a reference to a prospective building; and in relation to the extension, alteration or change in use of a building, the expression “building” in this Act shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference only to so much of the building as is comprised in the extension or in the subject of the alteration or change in use, as the case may be.