When and where are Disabled regs required?

Piph

Hi,

I'm involved in designing a new Interior Design showroom. The floor space is limited and being very much encroached on by a disabled access WC and lobby. I'm wondering what the actual legal requirements are in this instance. As we are not a retail outlet serving food and/or beverages, do we have any requirement to provide a WC facility to the public? Our footfall would be far less than, say, a supermarket. I believe different premises definitions (office v. shop v. showoom) have different legal requirements. Where would a design showroom with some retail fall? I've been in plenty of public areas that have no disabled access to WCs. Or worse, a full Doc M spec WC at the bottom of an impossibly narrow stairs! Is the regulation for disabled access required as a provision for potential employees??

I'd appreciate knowing if we can legitimately have a regular WC, as it would make a huge impact on our remaining space.

Thanks.

Gumbo

Piph wrote: »

Hi,

I'm involved in designing a new Interior Design showroom. The floor space is limited and being very much encroached on by a disabled access WC and lobby. I'm wondering what the actual legal requirements are in this instance. As we are not a retail outlet serving food and/or beverages, do we have any requirement to provide a WC facility to the public? Our footfall would be far less than, say, a supermarket. I believe different premises definitions (office v. shop v. showoom) have different legal requirements. Where would a design showroom with some retail fall? I've been in plenty of public areas that have no disabled access to WCs. Or worse, a full Doc M spec WC at the bottom of an impossibly narrow stairs! Is the regulation for disabled access required as a provision for potential employees??

I'd appreciate knowing if we can legitimately have a regular WC, as it would make a huge impact on our remaining space.

Thanks.

When was the building originally constructed?
It sounds that the building required this toilet when constructed, and if you remove it you are in breech of Part M.

In general, this document applies to
works, or buildings in which certain
material changes of use take place,
where the works commence or the
change of use takes place, as the case
may be on or after 1 January 2012.
Technical Guidance Document M –
Access for People with Disabilities, dated
2000, also ceases to have effect from that
date.

Piph

Thanks for the reply.
The building has been gutted and divided into smaller spaces. The original layout had full, separate Male and Female staff WCs. The space available to us is now a much smaller part of that plan, and we have to find space in the new layout for a WC position.

Gumbo

Piph wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.
The building has been gutted and divided into smaller spaces. The original layout had full, separate Male and Female staff WCs. The space available to us is now a much smaller part of that plan, and we have to find space in the new layout for a WC position.

Sounds like subdivision for separate occupancy alright.
DAC and Fire Cert required.

Did you confirm with your landlord that these are in place?