Martin Angove wrote:

What it says in the On Site Guide (to the 16th Edition Wiring
regulations) is:

"The Building Regulations require switches and socket-outlets in
dwellings to be installed so that all persons including those whose
reach is limited can easily use them. A way of satisfying the
requirement is to install switches and socket-outlets in habitable rooms
at a height of between 450mm and 1200mm from the finished floor level...
Unless the dwelling is for persons whose reach is limited the
requirements would not apply to kitchens and garages but specifically
only to rooms that visitors would normally use."

This probably lets you off the hook unless you or another family member
who is likely to use the study/office has "limited reach", or visitors

Ah, a loophole :-) Nope, no-one here with "limited reach" and the door
will bear a sign, "Off-limits to the female of the spieces", so that
just leaves me.

make use of the study.

More than that I cannot say, though if switching access (for emergency
use or otherwise) is a problem to you, have you considered wiring the
office with remote switching of the sockets somewhere more accessible?
You could use the switchbanks such as are commonly used for built-in
kitchen appliances, using the outputs of the switches to feed sockets.
Shouldn't be vastly more expensive. It doesn't solve the problem of
access should you wish to unplug something though.

Having said that, if the desk is to go against a wall, a: aren't you
running the risk of kicking a socket placed at skirting board height and
b: why not simply remove the modesty panel?


I've got size 11 feet so the modesty panel should protect the sockets
from them.

As for removing the panels, all the desks (it will be a corner desk)
I've (dis)assemled use them to brace the legs; remove them and the desk
will sway, plus the fact I intend to put a shelf on the inside of one
for the computer and clip all the cables (anyone remember the good old
days when PCs had only 3 cables?) to the face of the panels to route
them neatly.

Hwyl!

M.