Saeed Azarshab

Approved Document M: Access to and use of buildings

Statutory guidance · England-focused reference · Editorial source review:

Part M addresses access to and use of buildings, with separate volumes for dwellings and other buildings. The design must consider the route through the building, not just one entrance detail. Optional dwelling categories are not automatically required for all homes; relevant planning conditions and the project requirements need to be checked.

Independent explanation, not an official approval or project-specific legal/design advice.

When to use this guide

  • Planning entrances, circulation, accessible facilities or a building alteration
  • Checking a dwelling’s required accessibility category
  • Coordinating toilets, stairs, escape and inclusive use

What to check

Use these prompts with the responsible project team. Ticking a box does not certify compliance.

You can tick these prompts while reviewing the project.

Download checklist (TXT)

Keep these records

  • Access strategy, layouts and relevant planning conditions
  • Coordinated entrance, circulation and facility details
  • Inspection and change records

Common mistakes

  • Treating optional dwelling categories as universally mandatory.
  • Assuming Part M approval resolves every separate equality or inclusive-use obligation.

When to get specialist help

Seek competent access advice for constrained alterations or unresolved conflicts. Building-regulations compliance and other legal obligations must be considered in their own context.

Scope and edition

Volume 1 is 2015 edition with 2016 amendments; Volume 2 has 2024 amendments and the landing updated 1 October 2024. Dwelling categories 2 and 3 apply where required by planning permission. Do not present optional dwelling categories as mandatory for all homes. Coordinate access layouts with fire, stairs and toilet requirements.

Accessibility of dwellings and buildings other than dwellings.

Use the official source to check the current text, amendments not yet incorporated, commencement and project-specific transition. A published future edition is not automatically the rule applying to your work.

Official sources

  • GOV.UK — Approved Document MOfficial England guidance; check the applicable volume, edition and transition.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-and-use-of-buildings-approved-document-m

Source links lead to external official websites. We provide original explanatory notes and do not reproduce paid standards.

About this library

Independent, plain-English reference notes by Saeed Azarshab. The library covers the 42 subjects listed here; it is not every law affecting construction, an official government publication or a project-specific compliance decision. Building Regulations, Approved Documents, workplace safety duties and planning permissions have different roles.

Editorial source review: . Check the current official text, commencement dates, outstanding amendments and transitional arrangements before relying on a requirement. Publication date is not necessarily the date a rule applies. A relevant competent professional or authority must resolve project-specific questions.

Sources and lawful reuse

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated. These are original practical summaries, with links to the official material. No government endorsement is implied. We do not host copies of proprietary BS, ISO or Eurocode standards, third-party diagrams or publisher layouts. Check each source’s rights notice before reuse.

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