Fear for our homes!

[Maz8462]

I wondered if anyone can help us PLEASE. I/we myself and 7 neighbours live on a small one car wide dirt track. At the top of which is a sharp bend to tge rest of the dirt track up to the main road. On the corner is a small car park butting up to a playing field. 

The local council have put steel gates up across the carpark to stop motor bikes churning up the football field. Understandably. However, this has cut off any access for any large vehicles ie. Fire engines amongst others getting down the lane. How do we get tge fire service out to do a check for us and put our minds at risk that we are not going to burn to death in our homes because the local council will not listen to our pleas.

Thank you

Maz

[Noddy]

Ring your local station and they should get the ball rolling. 

[Percy]

This might help you too.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/manual-for-streets

6.7.2 The Building Regulation requirement B5 (2000) concerns ‘Access and Facilities for the Fire Service’. Section 17, ‘Vehicle Access’, includes the following advice on access from the highway: 
• there should be a minimum carriageway width of 3.7 m between kerbs; 
• there should be a minimum gateway width of 3.1 m; 
• there should be vehicle access for a pump appliance to within 45 m of every point within single family houses; 
• fire service vehicles should not have to reverse more than 20 m.

6.7.3 The Association of Chief Fire Officers has expanded upon and clarified these requirements as follows: 
• a 3.7 m carriageway (kerb to kerb) is required for operating space at the scene of a fire. Simply to reach a fire, the access route could be reduced to 2.75 m over short distances, provided the pump appliance can get to within 45 m of dwelling entrances; 
• if an authority or developer wishes to reduce the running carriageway width to below 3.7 m, they should consult the local Fire Safety Officer; 
....parked cars can have a significant influence on response times. Developments should have adequate provision for parking to reduce its impact on response times;

[Messyshaw]

Percy. Surely Approved Doc B is for new builds and material changes? I doubt the installation of a gate would constitute any of those.

A road near me has a height restriction to keep travellers off of a park. There are 6 houses beyond the restriction, but  it is fitted with a yellow FB14 padlock.  All residents have been given a key for deliveries. In addition, the refuse collectors have a FB 14 key (but never use it) and most importantly, all fire appliances also carry the key.

This might be an avenue to explore, however its not difficult for travellers to obtain a FB14 key so some local authorities are reluctant to use this method of locking traffic barriers 

 

[Dyson]

Just ring or call into your local fire station, they will help you. 

[Percy]

1 hour ago, Messyshaw said:

Percy. Surely Approved Doc B is for new builds and material changes? I doubt the installation of a gate would constitute any of those.

A road near me has a height restriction to keep travellers off of a park. There are 6 houses beyond the restriction, but  it is fitted with a yellow FB14 padlock.  All residents have been given a key for deliveries. In addition, the refuse collectors have a FB 14 key (but never use it) and most importantly, all fire appliances also carry the key.

This might be an avenue to explore, however its not difficult for travellers to obtain a FB14 key so some local authorities are reluctant to use this method of locking traffic barriers 

 

This info is contained in the link... in this instance I am referring to modifying

Guidance

Designing and modifying residential streets

'Manual for streets' explains how to design, construct, adopt and maintain new and existing residential streets.