§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to extend the scope of Part M of the Building Regulations to apply to buildings requiring a change of use. [32595]
§ Mr. Raynsford[holding answer 3 March 1998]: There are no current plans for extending the scope of Part M of the Building Regulations to buildings requiring a change of use. Any proposal for making such a change would need to take into account the implications of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and any future legislation relating to disabled people.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to incorporate Part M of the Building Regulations into the criteria for planning approval, when an applicant applies for a change of use. [32596]
§ Mr. Raynsford[holding answer 3 March 1998]: The planning system and approval under the building regulations are two separate control regimes with their own objectives and criteria. Planning Policy Guidance Note 1, "General Policy and Principles" explains that
The grant of planning permission does not remove the need to obtain any other consents which are necessary nor does it imply that such consents will necessarily be forthcoming.We have no plans to make planning permission conditional on obtaining other forms of consent. However, access issues can be material considerations under the planning system and PPGI advises thatLocal planning authorities, both in development plans and in determining individual planning applications, should take into account access issues".