UK regulations concerning external staircases

planning-permissionuk

We're looking to buy a house which has a newly-built external triple garage, which has an external staircase to a storeroom above the garage.

Our plan is to turn this storeroom into an office.

What I'm curious about, though, is the staircase. At the top of it it has a small landing area. I've not taken measurements, but if, say, the staircase is 1m wide, instead of just having a 1m x 1m square at the top, there's actually something roughly like 2m x 1m. You can either go up the stairs and turn left into the storeroom, or turn right onto a tiny balcony.

Would we be able to extend that balcony? To make it (say) 3m x 3m instead, with space for a couple of chairs and a table?

As I understand it any decking etc that's more than 30cm off the ground requires planning permission. I've looked at the planning permission for this garage, built a few years ago, and it doesn't show or mention the current balcony.

I'm not sure if the previous owner did something naughty by adding the extra 1m x 1m at the top of his stairs, or if there's actually a building reg that says you MUST have x amount of space at the top of a staircase, or what.

All of that aside, how hard do you think it'd be to get permission to extend the balcony, if we applied for planning permission? The main house is 100 years old and isn't listed. The garage is 4-5 years old. It's not in a conservation area and no other houses overlook it.

Thanks!

Best Answer

In the U.S., our Codes require a “landing” at the top of stairs that are as wide as the stairs and extends the width of the stairs...so it’s a landing that’s as wide and as deep as the width of the stairs.

So, that’s a minimum dimension required. If the previous owner enlarged it, you’re lucky, especially if you’re going to add a door that swings into that landing. Then minimum dimensions change, especially if it on a side next to the top step.

Related Solutions

Attaching a heavy item to a ‘powdery’ external wall

Here's what I did (probably a little over-engineered but it worked well)

Filled current holes and the surrounding mess
Got 135mm long, 7mm screws with wall plugs, and drilled 10mm holes for them
Located the holes 50mm above the current holes, 50mm being approximately half a course of bricks

Whilst drilling I think the problem might have been that I'd gone between two brick courses, but this was probably compounded by the fact the plaster was thicker than I thought (it might have been 60-70mm before it hit the brick by the noise of the drill), so the ridiculously long far too heavy duty screws probably did the trick.

Each of the screws is apparently rated to hold 90kg, though I doubt either the wall or the coat-hook thing itself would be anywhere near that.

UK Building Regulations: which document is regulation 3 in

I can't find regulation 3.

Follow this trail from http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/

Building Policy and Legislation
Current Legislation
Building Regulations
Building Regs Legislation 2010
The Building Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/2214)
Part 2,
3. Meaning of Building Work

Which leads you to The Building Regulations 2010, No. 2214, PART 2, Regulation 3

Meaning of building work
  3.—(1) In these Regulations “building work” means—  
       (a) the erection or extension of a building;  
       (b) the provision or extension of a controlled service or fitting in 
           or in connection with a building;  
       (c) the material alteration of a building, or a controlled service or
           fitting, as mentioned in paragraph (2);  
       (d) work required by regulation 6 (requirements relating to material 
           change of use);  
       (e) the insertion of insulating material into the cavity wall of a 
           building;  
       (f) work involving the underpinning of a building;  
       (g) work required by regulation 22 (requirements relating to a change 
           of energy status);  
       (h) work required by regulation 23 (requirements relating to thermal 
           elements);  
       (i) work required by regulation 28 (consequential improvements to 
           energy performance).  
    (2) An alteration is material for the purposes of these Regulations if 
        the work, or any part of it, would at any stage result—  
       (a) in a building or controlled service or fitting not complying with 
           a relevant requirement where previously it did; or  
       (b) in a building or controlled service or fitting which before the 
           work commenced did not comply with a relevant requirement, being 
           more unsatisfactory in relation to such a requirement.  
    (3) In paragraph (2) “relevant requirement” means any of the following 
        applicable requirements of Schedule 1, namely—  
           Part A (structure)   
           paragraph B1 (means of warning and escape)   
           paragraph B3 (internal fire spread—structure)   
           paragraph B4 (external fire spread)   
           paragraph B5 (access and facilities for the fire service)   
           Part M (access to and use of buildings).

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