Q1.1 This Part sets out the required standards for Regulation 29.
Q1.2 The standards apply to every building, or part of a building, of purpose group 1 which is intended to be occupied as a single dwelling.
except -
Q2.8 to Q2.10 apply only to the common parts of buildings of purpose sub-group 1A.
ACCESS TO DWELLINGS
Q2.1* There must be access to at least one entrance of a dwelling, and to the common entrance of a building of purpose sub-group 1A, from a suitable road and from any car parking within land in the same occupation by an access route which is level or ramped and suitable for disabled people,
except -
wheelchair access is not required and steps are permitted on the access route -
a. to a house where -
i. there are no apartments on an accessible entrance storey, or
ii. it is not reasonably practicable to construct an access route complying with this Part, and the requirements of Part S for ramps, between the point of access to, or from any car parking within, land in the same occupation and any entrance to the dwelling; or
b. in the case of a building of purpose sub-group 1A not served by a lift, to -
i. a common entrance where it does not serve a ground storey flat or maisonette, and
ii. a flat or maisonette on an upper storey.
Q2.2 The length of the access must not exceed 45 metres.
Q2.3 The width of the access must be at least -
a. where it serves 1 or 2 dwellings, 900mm; or
b. where it serves more than 2 dwellings, 1200mm.
Q2.4* The access must comprise a level or ramped firm surface suitable for pedestrian and wheelchair traffic.
ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE
Q2.5 The accessible entrance to a dwelling, and the common entrance to a building of purpose sub-group 1A, must comply with Q2.6 and Q2.7,
except -
in the case of a house where exceptions a. or b. to Q2.1 apply.
Q2.6 There must be a platt, level except for any necessary slope for drainage, at least 1.2 x 1.2 metres -
a. at the entrance to the dwelling; or
b. in a building of purpose sub-group 1A, at the common entrance to the building,
except -
where approach is head-on, the platt may be reduced to at least 900mm wide.
Q2.7* The threshold must permit unassisted wheelchair access and the clear opening width of the entrance door must be at least 775 mm.
except -
in a building of purpose sub-group 1A, the clear opening width of the common entrance door to the building must be at least 800mm.
BUILDINGS OF PURPOSE SUB-GROUP 1A
Q2.8 Where in a building of purpose sub-group 1A access from the common entrance to the building to the entrance storey of the dwelling is by way of a common access corridor, the corridor must have an unobstructed width of at least 1.2 metres.
Q2.9 Where the entrance door to a dwelling is more than 10
metres above the common entrance to the build
ing, a lift in accordance with Part S must be provided from a point not
more than 1 metre above that entrance to the building to a point not
more than 3 metres above or below the entrance to the dwelling.
Q2.10 In a building of purpose sub-group 1A -
a. an entryphone system, where fitted, must be accessible to and operable by disabled people; and
b. any light switch in a common access corridor or stair or other communal area must be accessible to, and operable by, disabled people.
ACCESS WITHIN DWELLINGS
Q2.11* The means of access throughout the accessible entrance storey of a dwelling or where there are no apartments on this storey, on the first storey above or below the accessible entrance storey containing an apartment, must be level or ramped and suitable for disabled people,
except -
a stair within a storey is permitted, provided that there is level or ramped access suitable for disabled people to and within at least one apartment and to sanitary accommodation provided in accordance with M3.6.
Q2.12 Where level or ramped access suitable for disabled people is not required by Q2.1 the means of access throughout the principal entrance storey, or where there are no apartments on this storey, on the first storey above or below the principal entrance storey containing an apartment, must be in accordance with the requirements of Q2.11.
ACCESS BETWEEN STOREYS
Q2.13 Where a dwelling has accommodation, other than storage, on more than one storey the storeys contain--ing accommodation must be connected by a stair or ramp in accordance with the requirements of Part S.
ACCOMMODATION
Q3.1 Every apartment must be capable of accommodating at least -
a. a bed; and
b. a wardrobe; and
c. a chest of drawers,
together with their associated activity spaces of the dimensions shown in the diagram to this standard, except -
a wardrobe space is not required where a built-in wardrobe of equal size is provided.
Diagram to Q3.1: Activity spaces
diagram
Notes:
1. An activity space is measured at floor level.
2. The shaded area of an activity space may overlap only the shaded area
of another activity space.
Q3.2 Every bedroom must be located so that it is not necessary to pass through another bedroom in order to reach a bathroom, watercloset compartment, or circulation space.
KITCHENS
Q3.3 A dwelling must have a kitchen, provided with -
a. a solid fuel cooker designed for continuous burning; or
b. a space, plus such piping, cables or other apparatus as will enable a gas, electric or oil cooker to be used, together with the associated activity space of the dimensions shown in the diagram to this standard -
Diagram to Q3.3: Activity spaces
diagram
Q3.4 Kitchen storage of at least 1 cubic metre must be provided either within or adjacent to the kitchen.
WINDOWS AND GLAZED DOORS
Q3.5 Every apartment must have a window or windows of an aggregate glazed area equal to at least 1/15th of the floor area of the apartment and situated in an external wall or roof, or in a wall between the apartment and a conservatory.
SPACE HEATING
Q3.6 A dwelling must have a fixed space heating appliance or a central heating system, which may include any system of warm air or underfloor heating, capable of either -
a. maintaining a temperature of 18 degrees Centigrade in at least one apartment when the outside temperature is minus 1 degree Centigrade ; or
b. making available at least 3 kilowatts of heating in at least one apartment.
LIGHTING POINTS
Q3.7 A dwelling to which it is reasonably practicable to make available a public supply of electricity must have an electric lighting system providing at least one lighting point to every circulation space, kitchen, bathroom, watercloset compartment and other space having a floor area of 2 square metres or more.
Q3.8 Any lighting point serving a stair must have controlling switches at each storey.
SOCKET OUTLETS
Q3.9 A dwelling to which it is reasonably practicable to make available a public supply of electricity must have at least -
a. in the kitchen, 6 socket outlets;
b. in each apartment, 4 socket outlets; and
c. anywhere in the dwelling, 4 additional socket outlets.