Building Regulations or Conservation?

[ljn]

According to Building Regulations, you can't have horizontal bars in a railing/balustrade -to prevent children climbing over. They also say you have openings over a certain size -to prevent children getting their heads stuck or falling through.

So most new balustrades are made of vertical bars, a metal grid or glass.

But in listed buildings?

The balustrade in the photo below is not the original, but was probably fitted to the front of the building thanks to a grant. Maybe in the last 10 years.
The same balustrade is also in front of the next house in the terrace, giving a sense of unity. The balustrade to the rear is missing.
Although it is not the original, and it's not exactly "my cup of tea", it might make sense to replicate what was used in the front.

But if the Conservation Officer approved it, would building control enforce current Regulations?

 

[Jon Maine]

If it is near a highway it may even be a planning issue, I would in your shoes however do exactly what I did and do what you think is right with the advice of the CO, I believe I may have contravened a few regulations, but everyone likes my railings and they are in character, highways and planners have been around with no complaints.

I would match what you have and say you are merely replacing with the common pattern, I doubt that they would even notice.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

According to Building Regulations, you can't have horizontal bars in a railing/balustrade -to prevent children climbing over.

No idea who told you that, but it's not true. Fact.

There is no requirement in the building regulations which makes a hard and fast stipulation as to the design of any railing. The closest is Requirement K1, that "stairs, ladders and ramps shall be so designed , constructed and installed as to be safe for people moving between different levels in or abou tthe building" This requirement only applies to stair, ladders and ramps which form part of the building, and certainly do not apply to garden railings of the sort you have shown.

 

[ljn]

I was thinking of approved Document K, Section 3: GUARDS AND BARRIERS

"3.3 Where buildings are likely to be used by children under 5 years the guarding should be such that a 100mm sphere cannot pass through any opening in the guarding and so that children will not readily be able to climb it. Horizontal rails for such guarding should be avoided."

The railings in the photo are on the front boundary with the pavement and prevent people from falling into the the open basement area below.

The new railing would prevent falling from the rear garden into the open basement area below.

It is a Planning/Listed Building issue and a Building Control issue.

I just wondered if Building Control issues ruled over Conservation in the case of listed buildings, or vice versa. I know that exceptions are made for public railings with spearheads in conservation areas.

Initially I was proposing a plan traditonal railing as in the photo below- vertical poles with a single horizontal handrail on top, but that wouldn't fit with anything else in the building.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

I was thinking of approved Document K, Section 3: GUARDS AND BARRIERS

"3.3 Where buildings are likely to be used by children under 5 years the guarding should be such that a 100mm sphere cannot pass through any opening in the guarding and so that children will not readily be able to climb it. Horizontal rails for such guarding should be avoided."

1. It's guarding external to the building, therefore not covered by the regulations.
2. The passage you quote is guidance, NOT the actual requirement. Note the use of the word "should" rather than "must".

 

[ljn]

My experience with Council Building Control Officers is that they won't sign off things that go against the recommendations. I suppose a private inspector might.

I haven't posted enough details of the area to protect with the balustrade to give a clear idea because my question is about the relationship between Building regulations and Planning within the context of listed building.

The basement area is a 2 m drop from the garden level and is bridged by the access to the rear door- a key escape rout in case of fire. Currently it is protected by a modern wooden balustrade within a plastic extension and part is built over with a kitchen extension which I want to remove. I am pretty sure Building Control will have something to say, weather in the building or not. But would appreciate any examples to the contrary.

 

[Penners]

Quite apart from any other considerations, I can't see how it's possible to construct railing without horizontal rails.

Wouldn't they just be spears?

 

[biffvernon]

a key escape rout in case of fire.

Ah, so in the case of a fire, small children are going to climb on horizontal rails to get a better view of the fire engine and topple into the inferno. :roll:

 

[ljn]

Aren't the regs are quite clear and easy to understand even for those of us with period brains?

The railing in the second photo has the vertical poles set in the masonry at the bottom and is capped with a handrail at the top. That would comply with the recommendations Approved Document K, as the railing spacing can be <100 mm and there is no horizontal bar "in the guarding" to help climb over.

The first photo has big spaces you could push a giant watermelon through and has a horizontal bar half way up, so children and ferrel pensioners could climb up. I haven't found any melons, children or pensioners in the basement area yet but I live in fear of coming back home and seeing a tell-tale mobility scooter parked up on the pavement...

So no one ideas on the building Control vs Planning/Conservation?

 

[Nemesis]

Well it seemed Gareth had, and maybe if your BCO says he's wrong you can tell him it's Normal for Norfolk?