Flats require Lobby

[Guest Joe]

Hi,

I thought I had posted this post for advice.

so here it goes again.

I live in an apartment purpose built flats over 3 floors.

Two flats on each floor.

Risk assessor and fire service have said to replace some of the front doors to the flats due to not being fire doors. Over time being changed for upvc and other wooden doors.

Fine with this. What’s confused me is that the door to the stairs are fire doors but the risk assessor has said they can’t be rising butt hinges so need replacing with self closes and seals.

The project manager has said this isn’t the case and that the stairs to the flats don’t even need this door as it doesn’t have to be lobbied.

who is actually right?

[AnthonyB]

When was it built?

It is possible for small blocks of flats in the configuration you have drawn to have the flats directly off the stair landing - there has been a relaxation allowing this in Building Regulations for decades.

[Guest BT4]

On 06/06/2022 at 19:19, AnthonyB said:

When was it built?

It is possible for small blocks of flats in the configuration you have drawn to have the flats directly off the stair landing - there has been a relaxation allowing this in Building Regulations for decades.

Is this still the case over 3 floors?  

[AnthonyB]

The relaxation only applies where:
a. The top storey of the building is a maximum of 11m above ground level.

b. No more than three storeys are above the ground storey.

c. The stair does not connect to a covered car park, unless the car park is open sided

d. The stair does not serve offices, stores or other ancillary accommodation. If it does, they should be separated from the stair by a protected lobby or protected corridor (minimum REI 30) with a minimum 0.4m2 of permanent ventilation, or be protected from the ingress of smoke by a mechanical smoke control system.

e. Either of the following is provided for the fire and rescue service.

                                       i. A high-level openable vent with a free area of at least 1m2 at each storey.

                                       ii. A single openable vent with a free area of at least 1m2 at the head of the stair, operable remotely at the fire and rescue service access level.