Buildings Regulations and low impact dwellings

woodpecker · Post by **woodpecker** » 18 Jan 2012, 23:59

emordnilap wrote:
woodpecker wrote:
clv101 wrote:A lot of the building regs - like wheelchair access for one, make a lot of sense.
One of my local councils has recently granted itself permission (they own the land) to create a new development of 14 or so affordable/rental flats and houses, none of which will be wheelchair accessible. It seems they themselves can ignore the rules if it suits them.
It's difficult to know how they can get away with that one.

Simples: they argued - at the planning meeting, before the public - that as the land is on a road that is a hill, people with access issues wouldn't want to live there. That was when they were challenged on the lack of disabled access.

SleeperService · Post by **SleeperService** » 19 Jan 2012, 00:04

That's shocking

What on Earth happens in Sheffield where the whole city seems to be on the side of one hill or another? Except Meadowhall which is on a levelled ex-steelmill site.

Ballard · Post by **Ballard** » 19 Jan 2012, 00:20

Remember that the building 'regulations' are just the short statements at the start of each document; this is the part that you must comply with...
All the rest is just guidance, (guidance which if followed is deemed to satisfy the regulation. )
Most people, building control officers included, get confused over this. If you can demonstrate that you have met the regulation you do not need to comply with the guidance. However demonstrating this could prove tricky, employing an approved inspector maybe the easier option.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 19 Jan 2012, 04:53

As Ballard says employing an Approved (read private) Building Inspector is often a better bet with "alternative building". I know a very good one if anybody needs one. I met him on the Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies MSc at CAT and he knows his stuff and is very sympathetic to alternative building techniques. In fact he runs straw bale building courses.

Regarding the smoke alarms, we are off grid and have fitted the required mains operated smoke alarms with the required internal battery backup and they worked fine when we had intermittent electricity before installing our batteries and inverter. The genny was off for 8 hours at a time and the alarms functioned right through. We've had no problems with Building control although we haven't got the house signed off yet.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 19 Jan 2012, 08:34

woodpecker wrote: One of my local councils has recently granted itself permission (they own the land) to create a new development of 14 or so affordable/rental flats and houses, none of which will be wheelchair accessible. It seems they themselves can ignore the rules if it suits them.

Can you give chapter and verse on that?

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 19 Jan 2012, 14:43

woodpecker wrote:Simples: they argued - at the planning meeting, before the public - that as the land is on a road that is a hill, people with access issues wouldn't want to live there. That was when they were challenged on the lack of disabled access.

I'll have to remember that one just in case. I usually specify 840 (2' 9") wide doors anyway as they are far better for every one's use. If you're carting furniture about or any heavy load the extra width makes life much easier.

And the regs for the height of light switches and sockets are just common sense. All our light switches are at the same height as the door handles, about 900 or 3' above the floor. Anyone can reach them then, even kiddies. Sockets at 600 (2') above floor are easy on the back as well while not being obtrusive.

Post by **adam2** » 19 Jan 2012, 16:35

kenneal - lagger wrote:Regarding the smoke alarms, we are off grid and have fitted the required mains operated smoke alarms with the required internal battery backup and they worked fine when we had intermittent electricity before installing our batteries and inverter. The genny was off for 8 hours at a time and the alarms functioned right through. We've had no problems with Building control although we haven't got the house signed off yet.

IME , mains operated smoke detectors that also have an internal battery, make a most iritating "chirp" every minute or so if the mains supply is not present.
This being justified on the grounds that otherwise failure of the mains supply would go un-noticed.
Likewise if the mains is present, but the internal battery is missing or discharged, the same iritating noise is made.

Did your smoke alarms not make this noise ? or did you get used it perhaps ?