Enclosing a staircase to comply with Part M Building Regs?

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can shead some light on this for me!

I have a planning application submitted to register a 1 bedroom house as a house for residential purpose. The work to convert this from a garage was carried out many years ago but has only ever been registed as a garage (rather than a seperate annex).

The staircase leads down into an open kitchen, with a door to a living room on the left and back door opposite the staircase.

My planning application has been updated with the phrase 'It is intended to seperate the stairwell by enclosing and forming a lobby making the unit comply with part M of the current building regulations.'

I am having difficulty getting hold of anyone currently to do with this, but I can only assume you cant have an open staircase into a kitchen? (bearing in mind this has been in place over 20 years and is not my design).

Is anyone aware of this regulation that can advise what the issue is?

Thanks in advance

I don't know exactly what it is you have applied for, or are really asking. What is existing and what is proposed and whether they are different. Your post is confusing.

Sorry, I was trying not to go on too much and have ended up being too vague!

We bought a house a few years ago with a seperate annex.
Recently we have been looking into the possibility of seperating the two and selling off the annex as its own unit, getting a new address etc.
The annex was a garage with a kitchen attached, bathroom & bedroom upstairs and the staircase running up through the kitchen to a small landing.

We have converted the garage into a living area, fitted a front door etc. but after speaking with the local planning, it appears this two story building has never been registered as anything other than a garage - hence not residential. As the building was empty for a year or so the rules for it being in use for many years don't apply. (im not sure of the age but it has cast iron guttering)

We have applied to have the status chenged to a residential building rather than a garage and it is on this planing application that the footnote about the staircase and building regs has been added - i'm not even sure by who!

I'll get to speak to someone eventually but am really interested in finding out what this regulation refers to.

Is there any specific information that would help to relate to the stairs and part M?

Thanks

Sorry - forgot to spell check for typo's above!

What i'm really interested in knowing is how part M relates to an open staircase in the kitchen, and why a lobby is required. Is it that their needs to be a barrier to the rest of the house for fire stopping purposes?

Thanks