Loft conversion - open plan staircase

[cupkate89]

Hello!
I'm wondering if there is anyone out there who can give me a bit of advice

We are currently in the process of buying a house. It is 4 bedrooms (3 plus a loft conversion). The staircase to the loft conversion is in the back bedroom.

We would like to open up the loft conversion staircase (it is currently blocked off with a stud wall) so it is essentially a '2 storey bedroom'. We would use the loft conversion as a dressing room/office with wardrobes and a desk and use the original bedroom for the actual bedroom.

I hope this is making sense....it's hard to explain!

Would we need to get planning permission for this? Essentially we would just be knocking out the stud wall and putting spindles in instead, and would be putting the house back to 3 bedrooms (just one of the bedrooms is 2 storey!)

There is still a firedoor at the bottom of the loft conversion staircase, which would also be the door into the bedroom.

Any advice would be gratefully received!

 

[jeds]

You don't need planning permission but you can't, when making alterations, make anything that currently complies with building regulations worse. Removing the partition wall would worsen the present situation. To clarify; Building regulations is concerned with the height of a room above ground level. Your third floor is more than 4.5m above ground floor level and therefore needs a protected staircase. Calling it one room with two storeys doesn't alter that situation.

 

[northernstair]

As far as im aware if you open up the staircase you must put a landing area at the top of the staircase with a fire door into the new "study" and alternative to the landing at the top of the staircase should room be an issue you can replace the bedroom doors and bathroom door with fire doors, that was the last I knew, I hope this helps. Northern Stair Parts

 

[FresnoBob]

We've been thinking of how to convert our loft for some time (we have no protected fire escape route and stairs exit into a part of the living room that cant be boxed in). I was told by Building Control that they would accept a sprinkler system in my case. Maybe worth having a word with your local Building Control office?

 

[DevilDamo]

As far as im aware if you open up the staircase you must put a landing area at the top of the staircase with a fire door into the new "study" and alternative to the landing at the top of the staircase should room be an issue you can replace the bedroom doors and bathroom door with fire doors, that was the last I knew, I hope this helps. Northern Stair Parts

So that's not really "opening it up then"

As FB said... there are alternative ways of achieveing compliance and this has been done in the past with a domestic sprinkler system. They're not that practical to install/maintain.