No. The Approved Documents provide guidance about compliance with specific aspects of the Building Regulations in some of the more common building situations. There is no obligation to adopt any solution contained in the Approved Document if you prefer to meet the relevant requirement in some other way. However, you should check with your building control body that your proposals comply with the Building Regulations (which are reproduced in the green shaded boxes in the Approved Document).

If guidance in the Approved Document is followed there will be a presumption of compliance with the requirement(s) covered by the guidance. However, this presumption is not conclusive, so simply following guidance does not guarantee compliance in an individual case.