Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 2561

      The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 1998


      © Crown Copyright 1998

      Statutory Instruments printed from this website are printed under the superintendence and authority of the Controller of HMSO being the Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament.

      The legislation contained on this web site is subject to Crown Copyright protection. It may be reproduced free of charge provided that it is reproduced accurately and that the source and copyright status of the material is made evident to users.

      It should be noted that the right to reproduce the text of Statutory Instruments does not extend to the Queen's Printer imprints which should be removed from any copies of the Statutory Instrument which are issued or made available to the public. This includes reproduction of the Statutory Instrument on the Internet and on intranet sites. The Royal Arms may be reproduced only where they are an integral part of the original document.

      The text of this Internet version of the Statutory Instrument which is published by the Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament has been prepared to reflect the text as it was Made. A print version is also available and is published by The Stationery Office Limited as the The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 1998 , ISBN 0 11 079717 5. The print version may be purchased by clicking here. Braille copies of this Statutory Instrument can also be purchased at the same price as the print edition by contacting TSO Customer Services on 0870 600 5522 or e-mail:customer.services@tso.co.uk.

      Further information about the publication of legislation on this website can be found by referring to the Frequently Asked Questions.

      To ensure fast access over slow connections, large documents have been segmented into "chunks". Where you see a "continue" button at the bottom of the page of text, this indicates that there is another chunk of text available.


STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS


1998 No. 2561

BUILDING AND BUILDINGS

The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 1998

  Made 19th October 1998 
  Laid before Parliament 26th October 1998 
  Coming into force 25th October 1999 

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 1(1), 3(1) and 126[1] of and paragraphs 2, 7, 8 and 10 of Schedule 1 to the Building Act 1984[2] ("the Act") and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, after consulting the Building Regulations Advisory Committee and such other bodies as appear to him to be representative of the interests concerned in accordance with section 14(3) of that Act, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement
     1. These Regulations may be cited as the Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 1998 and shall come into force on 25th October 1999.

Amendment of the Building Regulations 1991
    
2. Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 1991[3] ("the 1991 Regulations") shall be amended in accordance with regulation 3.

     3. For Part M (Access and Facilities for Disabled People) there shall be substituted the following Part-



    " PART M ACCESS AND FACILITIES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

    Interpretation
         M1. In this Part "disabled people" means people who have-

      (a) an impairment which limits their ability to walk or which requires them to use a wheelchair for mobility, or

      (b) impaired hearing or sight.

    Access and use
         M2. Reasonable provision shall be made for disabled people to gain access to and to use the building.

    Sanitary conveniences
         M3.

        (1) Reasonable provision shall be made in the entrance storey of a dwelling for sanitary conveniences, or where the entrance storey contains no habitable rooms, reasonable provision for sanitary conveniences shall be made in either the entrance storey or principal storey.

        (2) In this paragraph "entrance storey" means the storey which contains the principal entrance to the dwelling, and "principal storey" means the storey nearest to the entrance storey which contains a habitable room, or if there are two such storeys equally near, either such storey.

        (3) If sanitary conveniences are provided in any building which is not a dwelling, reasonable provision shall be made for disabled people.

         1. The requirements of this Part do not apply to-

      (a) a material alteration;

      (b) an extension to a dwelling, or any other extension which does not include a ground storey;

      (c) any part of a building which is used solely to enable the building or any service or fitting in the building to be inspected, repaired or maintained.

    Audience or spectator seating
         M4. If the building contains audience or spectator seating, reasonable provision shall be made to accommodate disabled people.

         2. Part M4 does not apply to dwellings.

    "


Transitional Provisions
    
4. Where before 25th October 1999 the erection of a building has begun in accordance with-

the 1991 Regulations shall continue to apply to the erection of that building as if these Regulations had not been made.

    
5. Where before 1st June 1999 full plans of a building have been deposited with a local authority and either-

the 1991 Regulations shall apply to the erection of that building as if these Regulations had not been made, whether or not the erection of the building departs from those plans.

    
6. Where plans of a building are the subject of a plans certificate, or a plans certificate combined with an initial notice, given to a local authority before 1st June 1999 in accordance with section 50 of the Act, and accepted by the local authority either before or after that date, the 1991 Regulations shall apply to the erection of that building as if these Regulations had not been made, whether or not the erection of the building departs from those plans.



Signed by authority of the Secretary of State


Nick Raynsford
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

19th October 1998



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


These Regulations further amend the Building Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991/2768), to substitute a new Part M in Schedule 1 to those regulations.

In the new Part M:

    a) the limits on application have been amended so that, in general, Part M (which relates to access and facilities for disabled people) will apply to dwellings;

    b) paragraph M3 has been amended to incorporate a new requirement in relation to sanitary conveniences in dwellings.

Regulations 4, 5 and 6 contain transitional provisions.

Regulation 4 provides that the Building Regulations 1991 will continue to apply, as though these Regulations had not been made, to the erection of a building which has begun in accordance with the relevant procedures before 25th October 1999, which is the date these Regulations come into force.

Regulations 5 and 6 provide that the Building Regulations 1991 will apply, as though these Regulations had not been made, to the erection of a building which begins on or after 25th October 1999, if the building is erected in accordance with full plans which have been passed by a local authority before 1st June 1999, or in accordance with plans which have been the subject of a plans certificate given by an approved inspector before 1st June 1999.

The Secretary of State has approved, under section 6(1) of the Building Act 1984, a new document containing practical guidance with respect to the requirements of Part M. The new Approved Document, "Part M: Access and Facilities for Disabled People" (1999 Edition, ISBN 0 11 753469 2, £7.95), is being published by TSO. Copies may be ordered from: TSO Publications Centre, PO Box 276, London SW8 5DT (telephone orders-0171 873 9090, fax orders-0171 873 8200); and through booksellers.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared in relation to these Regulations. A copy may be obtained from Building Regulations Division, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Zone 3/A1, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU, telephone-0171 890 5755.


Notes:

[1] Section 126 is cited for the definition of "prescribed".back

[2] 1984 c. 55.back

[3] S.I. 1991/2768; amended by S.I. 1992/1180, 1994/1850, 1995/1356 and 1997/1904.back



ISBN 0 11 079717 5


 
Other UK SIs |  Home |  National Assembly for Wales Statutory Instruments |  Scottish Statutory Instruments |  Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland |  Her Majesty's Stationery Office

We welcome your comments on this site
© Crown copyright 1998
Prepared 4 November 1998