Mr. Pat Nestor:

A lot of the obstacles to the conversion of buildings are merely perceived, and the guidance on section 7, on existing buildings, in the new technical guidance document will be most useful for designers and owners of buildings who are looking to adapt their premises. A few years ago, "Bringing Back Homes", essentially a textbook for exactly that type of work, was published and is extremely useful. The building regulations are useful for adapting existing buildings for reuse, within the requirements and without compromising safety, and the fire safety certificate process is very robust. The obstacles are often perceived rather than real.