On Sat, 4 Sep 2004 17:18:46 +0100, a particular chimpanzee named
"Owain" randomly hit the keyboard and
produced:

I thought that B Regs / Building Control took a dim view of external stairs
as fire exit routes? Of course depending on the layout/construction of the
flat and the building this may not be a designated FER but simply an access
to an otherwise inaccessible garden.

An external escape route has to be protected from any openings below
or alongside which could jeopardise it. There should be at least one
internal protected stair. It shouldn't be more than 6m high.

I read the OP as already having a suitable internal escape route, and
the new stair was for access to the garden only.
--
Hugo Nebula
'What you have to ask yourself is, "if no-one on the internet wants
a piece of this, just how far from the pack have you strayed?"'