Installing Balustrading on Landing area

[dangrenade]

Hi

I'm looking for some advice. I'm selling my house and the previous owner didn't get a building warrant for the conservatory. Long story short, i've to get a letter of comfort. The local authority has picked up that there should be balustrading installed on the landing area. Fair doos, now i'm looking for a solution so that I can conclude the missives on my property.

I've attached a photograph and rough plan of the install. I've a few queries re where to install newel posts and mounting handrail etc.

Newels - Should one be installed in the following locations, on the bottom stair tread, at the top of the landing, then at the first 135 angle, then the 2nd angle, then finishing with a half newel onto the wall. Or can i get away with just angling the handrail at the two 135 degree bends and finishing with a half newel on the wall.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Regards

Danny View media item 76915 View media item 76916

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

The local authority has picked up that there should be balustrading installed on the landing area.

This is incorrect, handrails are only required in dwellings where the height is over 600mm

Here you go: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_K_2013.pdf page 22 of the document (page 32 of the PDF)

 

[dangrenade]

Hi

Firstly thanks for the reply, this is interesting. The conservatory was built in 1994 so I'm not sure if they check the regs that were in play then. However I will contact them and bring this up, in an ideal world they'll accept and issue the letter of comfort. Forgot to mention that i'm in Scotland, is it different regs here.

Secondly i just realised that i posted this in the wrong forum, how do I move the post?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well that makes a difference, I don't quite follow exactly what you mean by a 'letter of comfort'.

Anyway the Scottish regs are (at time of writing) the same ie no handrails required for less than 600mm: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0043/00435259.pdf page 309 of the PDF Item 4.3.14

I'd be very surprised if the Regs in '94 were any different with regards to this but there doesn't seem to be an easily accessible archive copy online to look at to check. In anycase I think they would have a hard job trying to justify this reg from '94 if it were different.

 

[dangrenade]

Hi

A letter of comfort is a letter issue by the local authority for work carried out prior to 2005 that didn't have the appropriate building warrants in place. They basically survey and if they're happy they issue the letter to state that they won't take any enforcement action.
So i need it as the purchaser's solicitor picked up on the lack of building warrant/completion cert for the conservatory.

Thanks for the feedback, i've contacted the planning department and i'm awaiting their take on this.

 

[dangrenade]

Well turns out that since the landing/stairs have a change of direction they want to the balustrading installed. So looks like I have to go ahead.

Back to the original query then do you think i can get away with 2 full newels and a half newel, and just join the handrails at the two 135 degree bends. Or will I need to stick newels there, if so how do I bolt the handrail to the newels as the bolt heights will be the same in each newel post.