Building standards - Standard 2.15 Automatic Fire Suppression Systems: cost benefit analysis

3. Relaxation Applications: Standard 2.15

3.1 Applications for Relaxation of Standard 2.15

3.1.1 Since the addition of a building containing a flat or maisonette, a social housing dwelling and a shared multi-occupancy residential building (with more than six residents) to Standard 2.15 in March 2021, BSD has processed 19^[3] applications for the relaxation of the Standard. Two of these applications have been refused and 17 have been granted. Table 3.1 provides a summary of the applications and their status.

Table 3.1: Summary of Applications for Relaxation of Standard 2.15

Type/Description/Decision

Conversion

• Existing office to 4 ground floor flats : Refused
• Conversion providing rear extension to disused ground floor flat/outbuilding : Refused
• Form maisonette from 2 flats within 3 storey & basement, A-listed building : Granted
• Form maisonette with attic storage from attic space within 2 storey building : Granted
• Form maisonette from 2 flats, B-listed building : Granted
• Conversion to form maisonette from attic space within 2 storey building : Granted
• Form maisonette from ground and basement flats within 5 storey, A-listed building : Granted
• Form maisonette from ground floor storage area and flat within 4 storey building : Granted
• Form maisonette from attic space within 2 storey building : Granted
• Form 3 apartment ground floor flat from a children's nursery within a 3 storey building : Granted
• Form maisonette from attic space within 2 storey building : Granted
• Form maisonette from attic space within 2 storey building : Granted
• Form 3 storey flat from an office within 5 storey building : Granted
• Form maisonette from attic space within 2 storey building : Granted
• Form maisonette from attic space within 2 storey building : Granted

Extension

• Rear extension to ground floor flat (14m2) : Granted
• Rear extension to ground floor flat (35m2) : Granted
• Extension to ground floor flat (18.9m2) : Granted
• Rear extension to ground floor flat (26m2) : Granted

3.1.2 All applications (to date) relate to the Standard 2.15 category "a building containing a flat or maisonette". The majority of applications (79%) are for conversions with the remainder being extension projects. Of the 15 conversion projects, eleven relate to the formation of a maisonette from either two flats or from the conversion of attic space. All eleven applications to form maisonettes have been granted.

3.1.3 There have been three applications for conversion of commercial (e.g. office space, children's nursery) to residential accommodation with two applications approved and one refused. There has also been one conversion application to provide an extension to a ground floor flat and outbuilding which was refused.

3.1.4 All four extension applications have been granted and are for extensions to flats of between 14 and 35 sqm. No applications for alterations have been received.

3.1.5 There have been no applications for exemptions related to retail, care homes, sheltered housing, social housing or HMOs.