I'm looking for some advice please; I am in the process of purchasing a house with is currently a B&B. It has been granted planning permission to be converted back to a dwelling house when we take occupancy. There is also a guest house attached to the property. Currently both the B&B I am buying, and the guest house next door (attached) have means of escape over a threshold through a small door on the second floor between adjacent rooms. The door is approx. 500/600mm wide and only about 1.5m tall.
I visited the guest house today (not the one I'm buying). The landlord is open to having this means of escape permanently blocked up, but I am driving things from a neighbour point of view. So, the landlord has a current fire risk assessment, and complies with all necessary arrangements for compliance. There are 6 bedrooms with a max. occupancy of 12 (incl landlord). His escape plan has the shared exit (2nd floor) and the front door listed as means of escape. There are 30 minute fire doors throughout the house and the first to second floor staircase is enclosed with glass.
My queries are as follows:
a) is the shared fire escape door large enough to comply? This is not a fire door, just a solid (locked) timber door.
b) if the shared fire escape is removed, and the front door is the only means of escape, is this adequate?
Any advice gratefully received.
