UK loft conversion question

[Kieronz]

We are thinking about installing a kitchen in our existing loft conversion.  

The plan would require that we install new stairs from a first floor habitable room.  This is necessary so that we could cover over the existing stairwell to create sufficient usable floor space in the loft.  The existing stairs are part of the stairwell that leads to ground floor and that whole arrangement should be compliant with the building regulations.

I think that in normal circumstances, in order to safely install stairs from a habitable room, those stairs need to be screened off from that room - i.e. there cannot be open-plan staircase lead on to the stairwell.

In may case, I could effectively have two exit points from the loft (i.e. the existing stairs to stairwell and the new stairs to habitable room).  My question is whether I would be able to avoid screening off the new stairs if I retained the existing stairs and installed 'trap-door' access from the loft?

Hope that makes sense!

Many thanks in advance for your expert views.

[nearlythere]

What in the height of the floor level of the conversion above ground level? Have you an adequate escape window from the first floor level?

[Kieronz]

The loft conversion is on the second floor of the building, though the external access point from that level is effectively at the third floor, as the house is on a sloping site and there is a basement at the rear.  

There is, in my view, a good escape route from the first floor as the room where the new stairs would be is at the front of the house, so on the first floor, and there are large, floor to ceiling, sash windows in that room.

[nearlythere]

See post "Loft conversion - existing doors and Open plan" in Fire Safety.
Plenty covered.

[kurnal]

Difficult to picture what you are proposing- if you can email a sketch layout would be happy to take a look at it.

[kurnal]

A friend showed me a set of plans yesterday for a loft conversion adding a third storey to an existing two storey house. The design consultant had omitted fire doors except for one at the head of the new staircase and had specified an LD1 system of interlinked smoke alarms in lieu. My friend had been told by the designer that Building Regulations had changed , he did not need to apply for Building Regs approval and that an L D1 system is now accepted universally as an alternative to fire doors. This consultant is doing a lot of work - worrying.