Access to and use of buildings: Approved Document M

O N L I N E V E R S I O N M GENERAL GUIDANCE from car parking within the site, and historical interest and which are referred from other buildings on the same site to as a material consideration in a local (such as a university campus, a school authority’s development plan, or a hospital); d. buildings of architectural and historic b. so that elements of the building do not interest within national parks, areas of constitute a hazard to users, especially outstanding natural beauty and world people with impaired sight, but rather heritage sites, assist in wayfinding; e. vernacular buildings of traditional form c. so that people, regardless of disability, and construction. age or gender, can have access into, 0.18 The need to conserve the special and within, any storey of the building characteristics of such historic buildings and to the building’s facilities, subject must be recognised. They are a finite to the usual gender-related conventions resource with cultural importance. In regarding sanitary accommodation; such work the aim should be to improve d. for suitable accommodation for people accessibility where and to the extent that it in wheelchairs, or people with other is practically possible, always provided that disabilities, in audience or spectator the work does not prejudice the character seating; of the historic building, or increase the risk of long-term deterioration to the building e. for aids to communication for people fabric or fittings. In arriving at an appropriate with an impairment of hearing or sight balance between historic building in auditoria, meeting rooms, reception conservation and accessibility, it would be areas, ticket offices and at information appropriate to take into account the advice points; and of the local authority’s conservation and f. for sanitary accommodation for the access officers, and English Heritage, as users of the building. well as the views of local access groups, in order to make the building as accessible Educational establishments as possible. 0.15 From 1 April 2001, maintained schools 0.19 Particular issues relating to work in ceased to have exemption from the Building historic buildings that warrant sympathetic Regulations. Certain school-specific treatment and where advice from others standards relating to Parts K and M could therefore be beneficial include: contained in the DfES 1997 Constructional Standards as described in Circular a. restoring the historic character of DfES/0142/2001 are subsumed in this a building that had been subject to revision to AD M (see 1.33 – Note re: (l) and previous inappropriate alteration, (m), 1.36, 1.37 (b). e.g. replacement windows, doors and rooflights; 0.16 Purpose-built student living accommodation, including that in the form b. rebuilding a former historic building of flats as defined in regulation 2(1), should (e.g. following a fire or filling in a gap be treated as hotel/motel accommodation site in a terrace); in respect of space requirements and c. the choice of appropriate construction internal facilities (see 4.17 to 4.24). materials and techniques, e.g. making Historic buildings provisions enabling the fabric to ‘breathe’ to control moisture and potential long- 0.17 Historic buildings include: term decay problems: see Information a. listed buildings, Sheet No. 4 from The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). b. buildings situated in conservation areas, c. buildings which are of architectural and Approved Document M Volume 2 Access to and use of buildings other than dwellings O N L I N E V E R S I O N 13