Cookstown District Council

Previous Changes

Building regulations were first introduced in Northern Ireland in 1973 replacing the building bye-laws. The regulations have been amended and extended several times.  On 1 April 2001 amendments to several Parts of the regulations were introduced.

Access to dwellings

For the first time Part R (Access and facilities for disabled people) applied to dwellings. The regulations require reasonable provision to be made for disabled people to have access to and within and to use the dwelling. The provisions that are deemed-to-satisfy this regulation are included in a booklet referred to as Technical Booklet R. Provisions are required to be made to enable people with disabilities to visit in dwellings as distinct from living in them.

Generally a level or ramped access is required to the principal entrance (i.e. the door visitors will normally expect to use). The principal entrance is required to have a level access. With these provisions a wheelchair user should be able to gain access to the dwelling. Once inside the aim then is to facilitate access throughout the entrance storey. There are minimum dimensions specified for the clear width of doors leading to habitable rooms and the width of circulation corridors is also controlled.

A sanitary convenience accessible to a disabled person must be provided on the entrance storey and in order to facilitate use all switches (light switches, sockets etc) must be positioned not less than 450 mm nor more than 1200 mm above floor level.

Radon

A body known as the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) has been carrying out surveys throughout Northern Ireland to determine the levels of radon gas which may be present in the ground. Radon gas is a colourless and odourless radioactive gas that results from minute amounts of decaying uranium found in most earth materials. Research has shown that high concentrations of radon can increase the risk of lung cancer.

The surveys have revealed that large areas of Northern Ireland, particularly in the west and south of the province, are radon affected areas. About two-thirds of the Cookstown District Council area falls within an area where there is a 1% to 10% probability of radon concentration exceeding the action level (200 becquerels per cubic metre).

Part C (Preparation of site and resistance to moisture) and in particular Reg. C2(2) now requires measures to be taken to prevent or limit the ingress of radon from the ground into any dwelling situated in a radon affected area.

Practical measures are outlined in Building Research Establishment Report BR 413 which when applied to new dwellings should significantly reduce the ingress of radon. The preventative measures included the provision of a radon membrane in the floor construction. This membrane should cover the entire footprint of the dwelling. In order to make the membrane as gas-tight as possible, particular attention must be given to the design and installation including sealing of joints and where the membrane is penetrated by service pipes and ducts.

On 3rd October 2005, The Department of Finance and Personnel amended Part E of the Building Regulations and Technical Booklet E (deemed-to-satisfy provision).

Technical Booklet E is a deemed-to-satisfy provision and several amendments are proposed to each of the six sections in the Booklet. The main changes however are in respect of section 1 which deals with dwellings.

Emergency Egress Window

In a dwelling an ‘emergency egress window’ will be required to each storey above the ground storey located remote from the primary escape route.  In addition every habitable room on an upper storey not more than 4.5 m above the ground level shall have an emergency egress window.  The window size will be changed and will now have a clear opening of not less than 0.33 m2 in area with a height and width of at least 450 mm.  Provisions are introduced for the first time in respect of ‘sleeping galleries’.

Heat & Smoke Alarms

The requirement in respect of smoke alarms is also to be changed.  A smoke alarm will be required in each circulation route and in the principal habitable room. (‘Principal habitable room’ is defined as the habitable room in a dwelling that is normally the most frequently used room for general daytime living purposes).

 A heat alarm will be required in every kitchen   

 A smoke alarm must now be positioned 7.5m maximum from every door to a living room or kitchen (and 3m from every door to a bedroom as before). Within the principal habitable room no point in the room shall be more than 7.5m from the nearest smoke alarm. Within every kitchen no point in the kitchen shall be more than 5.3m from the nearest heat detector.

There will be a requirement for the provision of an automatic fire detection and alarm system to BS 5839-6:2004 in dwellings where the floor area of a storey exceeds 200 m2.

Generally similar provisions in respect of smoke and heat alarms will now also apply to flats.