What Is A Habitable Room In Planning Terms

Is there any definition under planning legislation of what constitutes a habitable room.

What is a habitable room in planning terms.

The scottish building standards refer to a principal habitable room in relation to the provision of fire detection and fire alarm systems. A room used or intended to be used for dwelling purposes including a kitchen but not a bathroom or utility room. They define a principal habitable room as a frequently used room by the occupants of a dwelling for general daytime living purposes. The dzc and the irc include similar terms ie.

Bathrooms and hallways are not considered habitable rooms. In roi it s not crystal clear whether non habitable rooms need to abide by the building regulations. Q the term habitable room is frequently used in planning policies and other planning documents. Housing whether for rent shared ownership or outright purchase provided at a cost considered affordable in relation to incomes that are average or below average or in relation to the price of general market housing.

I understand that there is a definition under the building regulations. A room used or intended to be used for dwellinghouse purposes including for the purposes of part b a kitchen but not a. For example the building regulations approved documents provide 3 separate definitions in different parts. Any room used for sleeping cooking.

The definition of a habitable room is however provided by technical guidance documents as being a room that is used for living or sleeping purposes but does not include a kitchen having a floor area of less than 6 5 sqm. Jargon buster glossary of planning terms. There are also separate definitions in regards to calculation of residential density and although they share common themes the definitions vary and you are advised to check with your local planning authority as to how the. Normally habitable rooms are the only rooms counted towards the number of rooms in a house.

Development management answers habitable room definition. There is no single legal definition of habitable room as its use and meaning is subject to context. For example dzc includes a definition of habitable room which is not the same as the design criteria for habitable room in the irc.