Building regulations: How to build dense

Planning Policy Statement 3 adopts a site-specific approach to housing densities and offers no distinction in density thresholds between urban and suburban sites. Paragraph 46 outlines the site-specific criteria to be applied by local planning authorities in developing housing density policies as follows:
• Spatial vision and strategy for housing development, including the level of housing demand and need and the availability of suitable land in the area.
• Current/future level and capacity of infrastructure, services and facilities.
• Desirability of using land efficiently and reducing the impacts of climate change.
• Current/future levels of accessibility, particularly public transport accessibility.
• Desirability of achieving high-quality, well-designed housing.

Secured By Design

If Secured by Design certification is being sought, generally a maximum of eight to 10 apartments only will be permitted in one secure corridor.

Design And Quality Standards

Issued by the Housing Corporation. Limitations on amenity space provision will need to be balanced against higher internal space standards to achieve good quality scores, which are based on the Housing Corporation's Design and Quality Strategy and Standards document of April 2007.

Building Regulations Approved Document B (ADB) – Fire Safety

The 2006 updates to ADB have adjusted some of the key fire-safety-related design criteria to high-density schemes, including:
• Moves towards design solutions for smoke control for common areas. This may allow more units and improved core efficiencies.
• The need for design teams to consider the specialist technical input which will be necessary to justify non-standard arrangements, including at pre-planning design.
• Changes to improve fire-fighting access including adjustments to the provision of
dry and wet riser services.
• The more complete inclusion of residential sprinkler design within fire-engineered design solutions to improve flexibility in internal layout planning.

Building Regulations Approved Document H (ADH) – Drainage And Waste Disposal

ADH remains relatively limited in comparison to the design standards commonly enforced through other means e.g. local authority policy requirements. High-density design can throw up conflicts between these regulations and the baseline Building Regulations. In particular the practical use of chutes and/or managed refuse and recycling stores at upper levels is a significant challenge, with design solutions increasingly relying on estate management and with Building Control increasingly requesting up-front guarantees from clients on implementation.

Code For Sustainable Homes

Achieving high ratings on a dense development may be problematic, but may also offer efficiency opportunities. An efficient communal heating and hot water system can, with energy-efficiency measures, provide enough CO2 offset to achieve level four credits. When seeking to achieve level five and six, electricity generation will be required using renewable technologies. To achieve the internal water credits, water recycling will be needed for levels five and six and might be considered for three and four if low-flow brassware is not acceptable. The available roof area may not collect enough rainwater to serve all dwellings so greywater recycling may be required. The system could be individual in each dwelling or communal. Basements need to accommodate bicycles (one per bedroom for maximum credits).

Lifetime Homes 

Lifetime Homes was set up in 1991 by a group of housing experts concerned about the quality of housing for large sectors of the population, such as the elderly and families with young children. Interpreting the implications of Lifetime Homes for all homes has been beset with problems because the standards are based on housing and low-rise flats, and some of the standards are not sufficiently quantified. This problem is being addressed in the publication of the British Standards Institute's draft Code of Practice BS: DD 266:2007. Loosely based on the Lifetime Homes concept, it includes some easily achievable aspects of wheelchair housing, and also considers hearing and sight loss. Specifically, it extends to flats, high-density developments and townhouses, providing clarity and dimensions. While clarification of the Lifetime Homes standards is welcomed, the impact of full application of the new DD 266:2007 would be to increase the space standards. Some requirements are onerous, for example heights of basement car parks are prescribed as a minimum 2.6m clear and there must be lift provision for all four-storey flat blocks.

 

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