I’m sure most of us are aware, however just incase BS 8300:2001 (Design of buildings and their approaches to disabled people - code of practice) has been revised to BS 8300 :2009. 

Amendments include:

• The recommendations on steps, stairs and handrails reflect those in BS 5395-1.
• There has been a relaxation of the recommendations on the provision of vision panels in doors, and more detailed information is given on the location and design of door opening and closing furniture.
•  More information is now provided on means of escape and references are made to BS 9999.
•  An increased percentage of accessible bedrooms is now recommended.
•  New subclauses have been included on accessible baby changing facilities and Changing Places sanitary accommodation.
•  Information on achieving sufficient visual contrast has been revised and included in a new annex that makes reference to BS 8493 on the measurement of light reflectance values.
• A new annex on slip resistance has been included, drawing on guidance issued by BRE and CIRIA.

These however are not exhuastive and reference should be made to the document itself online through The Construction Information Service.

The Department of Health has reinforced its position on bed space standards for in-patient accommodation to combat hospital acquired infections.

Bed spaces width is 3.6m to provide suffucient space for clinical activities, meet manual handling requirements including hoists, meet disability access requirements including wheelchairs and provide a suitable environment for privacy and dignity. Refer to HFN 30 - Infection Controlin the Built Environment. The standards relate both to new build and to major reconfiguration schemes.

Breaches of health and safety could lead to imprisonment, a top law firm has warned

The Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008 comes into effect today (16 January 2009).
See complete article in the Architects Journal here.

Author: Kaye Alexander.

English Partnerships’ standards were revised in November, reintroducing minimum space standards for new homes on their sites.  These standards go beyond the old Parker Morris standards of the 1960’s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Morris_Committee).  New housing projects for English Partnerships’ sites will require dwellings to be a minimum of 51m2 for a 1 bed, rising to a minimum of 106m2 for a 4 bed (6 person) home.

England and Wales are the only countries in Europe with no minimum space standards for new housing.

The vast majority of private and public sector schemes we undertake will not require these standards but there is some useful design guidance on layout, storage etc on this imaginatively-titled website: www.swingacat.info

The government published its new Housing and Regeneration Bill today, which will facilitate the prime minister’s housing targets.

One of Gordon Brown’s key policies since coming into power has been his promise to deliver three million new homes by 2020. Today’s Bill will help make this possible, and aid the delivery of the required 240,000 new homes a year by 2016.

The Bill will also create the new Homes and Community Agency, which has seen the merger of English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation.

This new agency will deliver more affordable housing, both social and private, by bringing together the two separate land and housing agencies.

It will also facilitate the government’s plans to provide 10 new eco towns, the locations of which are expected to be unveiled in February.

Richard Vaughan Architects Journal 16 November 2007

The ‘draft’ guidance for LPAs represents a coherent approach. It demonstrates how the info required to process an application has ballooned over recent years and the concomitant need for a host of specialist inputs. 

It introduces another delay in the introduction of the national application form which will be obligatory for online and written applications from 6 April 2008 (delayed this time from 1st October 2007). The new form is to be used for any of the following: 

Householder consents 

• Outline and full planning permission and approval of reserved matters 
• Listed Building consent 
• Conservation Area consent 
• Advertisement consent 
• Consent under Tree Preservation Orders 
• Lawful Development Certificates 
• Applications for Prior Notification under the General Permitted 

Development Order 1995 

• Removal or variation of conditions. 

The Guidance provides a different selection of items for each type of application covered by the national form. For a planning application this is the list: 

• Affordable housing statement 
• Air quality 
• Biodiversity survey and report 
• Conservation Area appraisal 
• Daylight/sunlight assessment 
• Environmental Impact Assessment 
• Evidence to accompany applications for town centre uses 
• Existing and proposed car parking and access arrangements 
• Flood risk assessment 
• Foul sewerage assessment 
• Heritage Statement (including historical, archaeological features and 
• Scheduled Ancient Monuments) 
• Impact assessment 
• Land contamination assessment 
• Landfill statement 
• Lighting assessment 
• Noise impact assessment 
• Open space assessment 
• Other plans (3 copies to be supplied unless the application is submitted electronically. All plans and drawings should include: paper size, key dimensions and scale bar indicating a minimum of 0-10 metres) 
• Photographs/photomontages 
• Planning obligations/draft Head(s) of Terms 
• Planning Statement 
• Regeneration statement 
• Statement of Community Involvement 
• Structural Survey 
• Transport assessment 
• (Draft) travel plan 
• Tree survey/Arboricultural implications 
• Utilities statement 
• Ventilation/extraction statement 
• Site waste management plan (including relevant refuse disposal details). 

See www.communities.gov.uk

The above is taken from a circulated letter from the ACA on validation of planning applications. It pays to check with the LPA but the requirements are becoming more onerous.

Pre-application consultation with planning officers which aim at agreement as to what is required to validate the proposed application will be essential in most cases. If the authority insists on charging a fee for these, such fee should be deductible from the [imminently to be further increased] application fee and not be in addition to it. This is a point to be emphasised in responding to local consultations on the proposed local requirements.

New Department of Health guidance asks Trusts to issue clear guidance on the use of mobile phones. Some of their recommendation are here:

Mobile phone use - Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

• Do – carry out a thorough risk assessment to determine where mobile phones may and may not be used,
• Do – make sure you have a written policy on mobile phone usage, that is readily available for patients and visitors,
• Do – ensure there is a named official to take responsibility for the policy,
• Do – make all staff aware of the contents of the policy and make it easily accessible to them,
• Do – empower staff to challenge the misuse of mobiles on the site,
• Do – update the policy periodically according to changes in the healthcare environment and advances in technology
• Do – clearly designate specific areas where mobile phones can be used,
• Do – make it clear that mobile phone use also includes the use of the camera facility,
• Do – clearly label designated ‘usage and non-usage’ areas with appropriate signage,

Don’ts

• Don’t – allow unfettered mobile phone use throughout the healthcare premises,
• Don’t – allow mobile phone use within 2 metres of sensitive medical equipment (as specified by MHRA)
• Don’t – allow patients and visitors to use the camera phone facility without permission,
• Don’t – subject patients to noisy ringtones, music from inbuilt players, constant “chatter”, as they are recuperating
• Don’t – allow patients and visitors to charge their mobile phones from the hospital’s power supply

Although NHS Trusts must ultimately decide where mobile phones are and are not allowed the Department of Health suggests that their usage, for safety, privacy and dignity and annoyance reasons, are not used in the following areas;

• On wards,
• Intensive therapy units,
• Operating theatres,
• Maternity wards,
• Special care baby units,
• Children’s wards/areas.

The whole guidance paper can be found here

Sorry for the delay, but following on from my earlier blog…

As you will all now be aware, the CDM Regulations 2007 came into force on the 6 April 2007.
The key aims of CDM 2007 are to integrate health and safety into the management of a project and encourage everyone involved to work together to:

• Improve the planning and management of projects from the very start;
• Identify hazards early on, so they can be eliminated or reduced at the design or planning stage and ensure the remaining risks can be properly managed;
• Target effort where it can do the most good in terms of health and safety:
• Discourage unnecessary bureaucracy

The CDM Regulations 2007 apply to all construction work from the 6 April 2007.  There are some exceptions, as defined in the regulations; these include maintenance of fixed plant, erection and taking down of tents and various others, but exclude off-site manufacture of items to be used later in construction work.
There are transitional arrangements for projects which commenced prior to the 6 April 07, but these generally concern arrangements and competence in respect of Clients Agent, Planning Supervisor, CDM Co-ordinator and Principal Contractor.
The CDM Regulations 2007 applies to all construction projects and there will be the following duty holders; client, designers and contractors. It is only when a project is notifiable to the HSE that there will be a CDM Co-ordinator and Principal Contractor required.

Notifiable projects are those where construction work is expected to;

• Last more than 30 working days; or
• Involve more than 500 person days, i.e. 50 people working for over 10 days

Although there is no requirement for a CDM Co-ordinator, Principal Contractor or Construction phase plan for a non-notifiable project, the regulations do require co-operation and co-ordination between all members of the project team.  In notifiable projects the CDM Co-ordinator will ensure this takes place as part of the requirements of their role.
I attach below an extract from the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) which sets out the duties of the various duty holders below, and have highlighted some of the important points to note as designers. I have left out the CDM Coordinator role, but think in terms of a key project health & safety advisor with a far more pro-active role:

• The Client is an organisation or individual for whom a construction project is carried out.  Clients only have duties when the project is associated with a business or other undertaking (whether for profit or not).  Non-Domestic clients eg. people having work done on their own home have no client duties under CDM 2007.
• The Client has one of the biggest influences over the way a project is run, and this is reflected in the more onerous  requirements on clients in CDM 2007 – See summary of duties below.
  Example – if a client fails to arrange for a CDM Co-ordinator or Principal Contractor on a notifiable project then these roles default to the client.
• Designers need to make sure they are competent and adequately resourced to address health & safety issues likely to be involved in their design.
• Designers to check Client aware of duties (no change here), except that for notifiable projects designers are to:

a) ensure that the client has appointed a CDM Coordinator,
b) ensure thet they do not start design work other than initial design(up to stage C has been suggested) until a CDM Coordinator is appointed,
c) cooperate with CDM Coordinator, principal contractor & other designers & contractors as necessary to enable them to comply with their duties.

• Designers on all projects are required to avoid forseeable risks and to eliminate hazards and reduce risks during design.

It is not always reasonably practical to eliminate hazards and where this is the case, consideration is to be given to design solutions reducing risk to an acceptable level. The amount of effort put into eliminating hazards and reducing risks should depend on the degree of risk. There is little point in spending a lot of time, money and trouble on low risk issues eg those risks that a competent contractor would be expected to manage.

The focus should be on issues that are known to have the potential to cause significant harm, and where there are known solutions that reduce the risks to everyone exposed.

The greater the risk, the greater the weight that must be given to eliminating or reducing that risk.
This was the message from previous HSE guidance, now it is clear.

• Designers on all projects should provide adequate information about any significant risks associated with the design.
• Designers to coordinate their work with others to improve the way risks are managed & controlled.
• Ensure that any design for use as a workplace takes account of the proviaions of the Workplace (Health,Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992.

What designers don’t have to do:

a) take into account or provide information about unforseeable hazards and risks,
b) design for possible future uses of structures that cannot reasonably be anticipated from the design brief,
c) specify construction methods, except where a design assumes or requires a particular construction/erection sequence.
d) exercise any health & safety management functions
e) worry about trivial risks.

The new ACOP and CDM Policy & Procedures resides in our Quality Assurance folder filed in the shared drive, and should be referred to by all.
Our existing procedures are being reviewed at present awaiting a document from the APS available in June. Please continue to follow our existing arrangements until such time as the new arrangements are in place, but keeping in mind the points made above.

Follow this link for a summary of duties under the CDM regulations under CDM 2007.

Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly has unveiled major reforms of the country’s planning system to make it fit to tackle new challenges in the 21st century - speeding up the system alongside improved community consultation.

The wide-ranging White Paper has four key pillars:

• A better, quicker system to decide major infrastructure projects with enhanced community engagement and an improved level of expertise.
• Simplifying the local planning system for householders to make it far easier to make home improvements like extensions and conservatories, where there is little or no impact on neighbours.
• Planning playing a bigger role in tackling climate change.
• Ensuring the planning system continues to support vibrant town centres.

The Government also pledged a new commitment to protect the green belt. The White Paper makes clear previously developed brown field land must remain the clear priority for housing development with our parks and green spaces protected.

The simplifying of the local planning system for householders will allow councils to focus on strategic priorities such as more homes for future generations and tackling climate change.

For more detail see the Department of CLG news

Notes to Editors

1. The ‘Planning for a Sustainable Future’ White Paper can be found here, the accompanying consultation document can be found here.

2. The White Paper sets out our detailed proposals for reform of the planning system, building on Kate Barker’s recommendations for improving the speed, responsiveness and efficiency in land use planning, and taking forward Kate Barker’s and Rod Eddington’s proposals for reform of major infrastructure planning. Further information can be found here and here  [External link].

3. The allocations for the first tranche of PDG for 07/08 together with  accompanying documentation can be found at here.

Some Fact + Figures

• Approximately 2million people in the UK are blind or partially sighted
• Approximately 9million people in the UK are deaf or hard of hearing, but only an approximate 50-70,000 use British Sign Language. Around 123,000 have lost their hearing after learning the spoken language. Approximately 23,000 people are deaf-blind
• Only an estimated 18% of blind people are totally blind
• Assisting Dogs work by avoiding obstacles, moving in the straightest line possible
• Long Cane users use their cane to detect obstacles, often using a building line to detect changes in condition - door openings, corner, kerb etc.
• An estimated 8million people in the UK have arthritis. Approximately 1million are under 50years of age, and approximately 15,000 are children
• There are approximately 750,000 wheelchair users in the UK
• The Point? Accessibility is for ALL - from a blind person to a wheelchair user, to a fully able bodied person carrying a full load of shopping.
• Accessibility for disabled people is in part about empowerment - we all act differently when we have confidence.
• Simple and common measures can empower visually disabled people:
• clear signage - few people enjoy asking for help!
• signage should have image and text, as visual imparements vary
• strong icons help orientation and wayfinding
• tactile maps can be child-friendly too
• audible way finding
• consistent good quality light levels
• Central sight loss reduces clarity of fine detail + colour - strong light can be unbearable
• Peripheral vision reduces depth perception although limited areas of clear vision occur. Strong light is preferred to increase contrast and depth of field.
• In design, used diffused and even light levels, using spots if required to emphasise design features, but keeping directed light away from direct vision.
• Sporadic loss of sight causes problems particularly with glazed areas. Small scale, subtle manifestation can be confused or misinterpreted by the brain, and therefore easily missed. In design, use angular manifestations with good colour contrast levels.
• Ramps should be designed to current standards, but attention to paving detail is required:
• Single, anti-slip surface will reduce the perception of a stepped surface. Ensure access to ramp is legible by those who use long canes - they should ideally meet the building external wall.
• Simple design measures can also empower hearing impared people:
• Provide clear lighting to allow easy lip-reading
• Provide space for a BSL interpreter in presentation spaces
• Reduce distractions around reception desks, etc, where lip-reading may be used
• Provide quiet areas where discreet communication is required
• Clear signage
• If an induction loop is to be installed, make sure its in the correct location
• BS8300 is undergoing its 5year review
• Part M requries 30pt contrast, BS8300 currently requires 20pt
• Project Rainbow gives many more options for colour contrasts, and suggests key locations where contrast is required.
• New Dulux CD has been produced (and ordered) - new colour fan required for input colour refs.

Useful links

RNIB:

RNID:

National Register of Access Consultants:

 Case Study – Urban Splash @ New Islington
  

• 12 Hectare Site 
• Part of Millenium Housing Sites 
• 1970’s Housing Estate dubbed the Worst Estate in Manchester 
• Assests retatined – 
• Canal Network 
• Community Spirit 
• Collaborative Workshops offered re-housing options to residents 
• Rebranding of estate 
• Will Alsop Masterplan, including “the Chips” 
• Mixed Use, including 
• 1700 new homes 
• Variety of Parks – Community Park, Wildlife Island, Orchard, Boardwalk, Beach 
• Revival of Waterway 
• Primary School 
• Primary Care Centre 
• Small Scale Retail 
• 180units/hectare 
• All dwellings to achieve Eco-Homes Excellent 
• Maximise use of natural sunlight 
• Use of low embodied energy materials throughout 
• Combined Heat and Power, future-proofed for bio-fuels 
• Jobs created for local people within the construction phase
    

Things you might forget, or things you might not know… 

• Integrate design at an early stage – ideally stage A/B, rather than at Stage C/D – consulting Energy Engineers / assessors. Check for Policy changes if the project has been on hold for a while.
    
• Recent UK Policy changes include PPS1 Addendum –
              Demonstrate how building regulations to be met at planning stage
    
• Passive Design – 
• Use the sun’s energy to reduce winter heating requirement 
• Orientate main façade within 30degrees of south 
• Avoid overshadowing 
• Utilise thermal mass to store heat 
• Minimise glazing to north façade 
• Add a glazed winter garden to south façade 
• Incorporating 2-3% Carbon Dioxide emission savings may reduce the “renewables” target – spray taps, smaller baths, energy efficient applicances + lights
• Remember to design in CHP Spaces into 1st phase of phased construction
  Use Thermal Analysis at scheme design stage to highlight potential overheating + design out prior to planning consent
    
• Check Planning Policy for correct wording –
  If 10% CO2 saving is required, target electrical – 3.5m2 Solar Thermal panels should achieve target saving
  If 10% Energy saving is required, target Gas – 2.2m2 Solar Thermal panels should achieve target saving
    
• Code for Sustainable Homes – Water
  Average UK use – 150 litres/person/day
  Typical Spec – 190 l/p/d
              6l Standard WC
              full flow taps
              standard bath – 200l
              shower – 15 l/minute flow
  Level 3 – 105 l/p/d
              Dual Flush 6/4 l WC
              Aerated taps
              Small bath – 150l
              6 litre shower 

Level 5 – 80 l/p/d 

Dual Flush 4/2 l WC 

Aerated taps 

Small bath 

Less than 6litre shower

Rainwater / Greywater harvesting for WC Flush 

 Products
   

• Pilkington “Optitherm” glazing controls heat loss and solar gain  
• “Ecoplay” grey water systems will treat + recycle grey water for use in WCs  
• “Dupont Energain” is a gypsum/paraffin Wax sealed board, which absorbs heat in lightweight construction by altering its state (effectively melts and solidifies) in hot temperatures. More info    
• Wind Turbines –  
• Swift (1.5kW, 2.1m diameter), £5250, provides approx 50% electricity needs of a 3bed house  
• Proven (15kW, 9m diameter), £40,000, provides all electricity needs of 7.5no. 3bed houses      

The Welsh Assembly has dramatically upped the sustainability stakes by setting a zero carbon target for all new buildings by 2011 – five years ahead of the UK government’s recently-announced target for zero carbon homes.

Despite reports of scepticism from some quarters, failure would prove a major embarrassment for the assembly, which has made high performance buildings the headlining policy of its emerging climate change strategy.

First of all, the assembly needs to take responsibility for its own Building Regulations, currently set by Whitehall. Environment minister Carwyn Jones says the assembly is in the process of opening discussions with the UK government over devolution of the regulatory framework.

‘Once these regulations are devolved, it will allow us to move further and faster on achieving zero carbon on all new buildings in Wales,’ Jones said.

Architects working in Wales will see the effect of the new policy stance immediately, however. As a first step, the assembly has decided that all new buildings funded by the devolved government must be built to the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard, the highest benchmark currently available. This is set to become a core condition of all new projects within six months.

The assembly’s zero carbon ambition is all the more challenging because it applies to all new buildings, not just new homes. The UK government has so far committed to a series of Part L revisions for housing – starting with a 25% improvement in 2010 – but has not given any parallel commitments to offices and workplaces.

[RIBA Practice Bulletin No. 386]

Code for Sustainable Homes signals the future for Building Regulations

At the end of December 2006 the government formally published its long awaited Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), which becomes effective in April 2007.  This is widely regarded as an important tool for achieving ‘zero carbon’ status in housebuilding, building homes which are both thermally efficient and which generate locally their own low energy requirements (eg using solar panels on the roof). 
The government has made it clear that the Code signposts the direction that future changes to Building Regulations will take.  In other words, the concepts, tools and standards in CSH will be encompassed in future changes to Part L.
The CSH is a voluntary tool for both public and private housing developers.  To access central government funding, however, all public housing will need to achieve at least the minimum rating (1 star).
As we all know, achieving carbon reduction has been one of the government’s top priorities for some time - and it is using three main ‘levers’ to effect change:

The government also hopes that the Code, with its maximum 6 star rating scheme, will provide a marketing tool for private developers.  Consumers have responded very well to energy rating schemes for electrical white goods and the government hopes that by informing customers of the overall energy ratings of houses it will lead to the same positive changes in spending decisions.

How will the scheme work?

Developers can achieve ratings from one to six stars.  The lowest level, 1 star, demands an improvement on the minimum requirements given in Part L1A, calculated on a ‘points out of 100′ basis across nine categories (see table below).  The higher star ratings naturally require higher point scores.  There is flexibility in how points are achieved, but some performance aspects are compulsory, as the chart below simply summarises.

Certification for Code compliance

To gain certification for code compliance there is a four-part process:

1. The developer produces an initial design for appraisal
2. A trained and certified Code Assessor conducts an initial assessment on the design, recommends a sustainability rating and issues an interim Code Certificate.  This is carried out for each house type (but not each dwelling)
3. The assessor performs a post completion check on a sample of the development to verify the rating
4. The assessor produces a final Code Certificate of compliance.

The concept of the Code is a positive move towards improving sustainable housing and should promote the greater use of sustainable materials.  Further details of this will be laid out in a revised Green Guide, scheduled to be ready by this April.  The guide will provide sustainability ratings for generic materials and products with a methodology for appraising specific manufacturer’s products.
 

For full details of the Code - visit this site 

 Please find summary below of new Fire Safety regulations which are coming into force April 07 

Approved Document B: Fire Safety

Significant changes to Approved Document B - Fire Safety are due to come into force on April 6th 2007. All applications received after this date need to comply with these new regulatory guidelines although there are a number of relatively minor transitional provisions as follows:
  

Transitional Provisions
Regulations 16B and 17C relate to requirement to provide detailed fire safety information (as required under the Regulatory Reform Act) and Clause 2A allows self-certification of certain works.
 

Regulations 16B and 17C
Where a building notice has been submitted to the local authority; full plans have been submitted (regardless of whether they have been approved); or an initial notice submitted before April 6th 2007, then the requirement to provide detailed fire safety information can be waived regardless of whether the scheme departs from the information deposited.
 

Clause 2A
Works to install heating and hot water service systems started before January 15th 2007 that are in accordance with a building notice, full plans submission or an initial notice are not eligible for the self-certification scheme provisions.
 

Schools
The DCLG states that ‘if BB 100 is not published by 6 April 2007, the relevant provisions of the 2000 edition of Approved Document B (incorporating the 2002 European amendments) will continue to have effect with respect to schools until such time as BB 100 is available. What implications this has for scheme submissions is uncertain.

General outline

Approved Document B is now 2 volumes: Volume 1: Domestic and Volume 2: Non-domestic. The draft versions - when combined - are over double the number of pages as the 2002 edition.

• Volume 1: Dwellinghouses is 80 pages and
• Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellinghouses is 155 pages

There are major changes in the compliance criteria and greater detail has been included. The new Approved Document B relies more on risk assessment than prescription although it also contains important alterations to:

• the means of escape;
• travel distance calculations;
• the acceptance of ‘alternative means’ (fire engineering), and;
• a greater responsibility on the building designer (or competent person) to provide detailed information on the maintenance and operation of the building.
   

Some of the changes are as follows:

Volume 1: Dwellinghouses recognises:

• the use of sprinklers (and other automatic fire suppression systems) in domestic situations, especially in lieu of alternative means of escape in certain circumstances (e.g. the ability to use domestic sprinklers as an alternative to a secondary escape from houses with a storey over 7.5m above ground level);

changes to Schedule 2A - competent person certification schemes

• that smoke alarms must have standby power sources and in extensions, smoke detection should be placed in circulations spaces
   

Additional information has been provided re:

• Resolving the conflict between ‘smoke control’ and ‘ventilation systems’;
• The ‘alternative’ method of compliance (ie, fire engineered approach) for loft spaces has been removed
• Compartmentation and cavity barriers
• Instead of the traditional 100mm step between integral garages and dwellinghouses, this can now be achieved with a 100mm sloping floor. NB: Apart from integral garage/dwellinghouses, “fire doors need not be provided with self-closing devices”
• Fire tenders should be able to access within 45m of all points ‘within’ a dwellinghouse.
   

Volume 2: Non-dwellinghouses, includes much of that detailed above and also other clauses as follows:

• Includes a new Regulation (16B) that details the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) that came into force in October 2006.
• Under the RRO, “Fire Certificates” have been done away
• Employers, building owners and others with responsibility for the premises and its operation must now ensure the safety of everyone who uses their premises including those in the immediate vicinity. The emphasis is now on the ‘responsible person’ to make the premises safe by using ‘preventative measures’.
• Other than this document, HTM 05 should be used for health care buildings and hospitals; and BB 100 should be used for schools.
   

Volume 2 includes:

• New calculations on fire escape stairs and escape routes;
• Specific guidance for disabled users and within tall buildings;
• Details for the protection of ventilation systems
• ‘Extensive’ underfloor voids must be protected with cavity barriers
   

Additional requirements include:

• Fire doors within flats need not be provided with door closers, unless the doors relate to flats designated ‘multiple occupancy’;
• ‘Open sided’ car parks must be constructed in non-combustible materials;
• Certain buildings with compartments over 280m2 should have fire hydrants;
• Buildings exceeding 900m2 with a floor level above 7.5m must have fire fighting shafts
• Unsprinklered buildings need to provide have fire main outlets within 45m of all parts of every storey over 18m

There is also new guidance on:

• the provision of sprinklers in tall (30m+) blocks of flats;
• the provision of sprinklers or free-swing devices in residential care homes;
• the provision of additional fire mains and the need to consider the impact of building design on fire fighting operations in tall buildings;
• inclusive design and the means of escape for disabled people; 
• a maximum compartment size for unsprinklered single storey storage buildings.

NBS is holding a seminar on Part B on 30 January 2007 in London. It is intended to be a forum where we can dissect the documents, explore design implications and examine the implications on professional liability as well as consultative opportunities. Find out more by reading the event summary now