Single stair flats and covered car parks

[PackMaCan]

Both ADB and BS 9991 have very similar requirements. Where flats are served by a single stair, the stair should not serve a covered car park. They also say, where a stair serves flats and a car park, it should be lobbied. But ... Some interpret the second rule as overruling the first, so provided it is lobbied a single stair can serve a covered car park. Am I missing something?

[AnthonyB]

It's all about how you read it and if you want to interpret it to serve your ends.

The ADB section regards stairs and ancillary accommodation.

The first paragraph 3.73 defines the ancillary accommodation and points out that a single common escape stair should not serve these areas.

The next paragraph 3.74 clearly states "Where a common stair is not part of the only escape route from a flat, it may also serve ancillary accommodation from which it is separated by a protected lobby or protected corridor (minimum REI 30)

This is quite clear - but the bit that I would suspect many use from experience is 3.73 starting off "Except in buildings described in paragraph 3.28" this being the magic phrase as it allows small blocks of flats that can claim relaxations in some requirements to have the car park off the stair if it's open sided and other ancillary accommodation if lobbied

One particular developer I've worked with specialises in blocks under 3.28 and they all have direct car park access with part of the car park open sided in one shape or form - where they have gone a floor higher they build virtually identically other than the door from the stair is omitted and you have to leave the flat common entrance and immediately turn to face another external door to the parking