Opinions on this please

[Old Salt]

If there is a fire and someone is injured or killed you will soon find out that a means of escape was required. May be worth having a serious discussion with local council to see exactly what is required.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If there is a fire and someone is injured or killed you will soon find out that a means of escape was required. May be worth having a serious discussion with local council to see exactly what is required.

Well perhaps not if they're excluded from needing to be compliant, at least on paper.

 

[Russanthonypowell]

FMT you are being supportive to me Thanks!!, Not sure how I proceed with this....one rule that seems to hold good is to Never EVER ask the council about regulations.

 

[johnny2007]

If you ask the council, at best they tell you that's a grey area.
Totally useless at giving a straight answer.
Unfortunately we live in a world of opportunistic people, so if you're doing something for someone, be covered.
I fix bikes for free but I have public liability insurance, just in case some smartass slips in my workshop whilst having their bike fixed for free.
PLI is £100 year roughly and I pay that with change people leave from parts.
Example: I buy parts for £35 and people give me £40.
That fiver goes in consumables and expenses (gloves, grease, electricity, etc.) as well as PLI.
Before the vipers on here start spitting venom, HMRC said I don't need to register with them given the small scale of it and the fact I don't make any money.

 

[Russanthonypowell]

Thanks for your input Johnny, yes I will be taking out PLI, as well as the bunkhouse/Bothy I have other things on my smallholding that will have a public interface.

 

[Stuart981]

PLI is good good starting point but you would need to carry out a risk assessment on the accommodation to identify and mitigate any pre-existing hazards as insurance would likely not cover any claims relating to those.

 

[Russanthonypowell]

so does the insure sign off the risk assessment or does this become a bun fight if things go wrong....? My example of this is that to enter the little hayloft (bedroom) is by way of an old oak vertical through a trap ladder...Safe as houses, risk free, ladder access..would I need to get this sort of signed off in any way.

 

[denso13]

I really think you should seek guidance from your local authority building control. If you don't, and the worst happens, there could be serious consequences.

It isn't worth the risk.

 

[Old Salt]

I really think you should seek guidance from your local authority building control. If you don't, and the worst happens, there could be serious consequences.

It isn't worth the risk.

Some people wont be told. Ask for advice, get it then ignore it because its not what they wanted to hear. In a previous life I was a risk manager for a multi billion £ international company but what the hell do I know.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

so does the insure sign off the risk assessment or does this become a bun fight if things go wrong....? My example of this is that to enter the little hayloft (bedroom) is by way of an old oak vertical through a trap ladder...Safe as houses, risk free, ladder access..would I need to get this sort of signed off in any way.

You have been repeatedly advised that what you intend, is a really seriously bad idea. It has nothing at all to do with whether you intend charging, or not for the use of this facility, the legality remains exactly the same. You are inviting members of the public, to make use of an unsafe facility. Should the worst happen, you will find yourself facing a charge of manslaughter.

Imagine yourself asleep up the ladder, in that loft, and a fire begins down below. How do you get out safely?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You have been repeatedly advised that what you intend, is a really seriously bad idea. It has nothing at all to do with whether you intend charging, or not for the use of this facility, the legality remains exactly the same. You are inviting members of the public, to make use of an unsafe facility. Should the worst happen, you will find yourself facing a charge of manslaughter.

Imagine yourself asleep up the ladder, in that loft, and a fire begins down below. How do you get out safely?

Well the OP needs to ascertain if Building Regs apply or not, I daresay they may have been excluded, after all such bothies seemingly exist all over the country and it's doubtful many would comply with any Building Regs, so there may be certain criteria that permits them to be excluded, probably no raised sleeping platforms or connection to mains water etc so the OP may be scuppered in anycase but the OP needs to ascertain this. I would also suspect that they're local Building Control, possibly not being familiar with such buildings will probably just say it needs Regs approval anyway, if the OP can even get hold of an inspector to discuss it rather than the bod answering the phone, which is doubtful nowadays. Or maybe the OP lives in the Hebrides or wherever where such buildings are more common and the local BC will have more knowledge.

 

[Russanthonypowell]

leave it out Harry, bit hard on me there, I am opening this up for discussion not blind panic from the conformers. As said I dont ask Planning office or BC for advice opinion as they are so stuck in there thinking, What I propose would have smoke detection and escape (nobody even asked this) full of assumption.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

What I propose would have smoke detection and escape (nobody even asked this) full of assumption.

You said a ladder for access!

 

[denso13]

As said I dont ask Planning office or BC for advice opinion as they are so stuck in there thinking,

Not the ones I deal with, the are normally very helpful.