So close to the starting line...but yet so far!

[bobkate]

We've had planning go in once and approved for a brick built extension. We've since rejigged some things and are now wanting to build out of timber and clad the extension with wood so it's gone back to the planners.
I have a few questions that the architect would no doubt be able to answer but I would rather find the answers out for myself first if that makes sense.
Firstly a bit of info before the questions.
On the plans the architects have included a dormer on left hand side of the plans looking down on them. This is so that for the loft conversion there would be enough head height for stairs and it would utilise the current small bedroom for the staircase.
The only problem is that the dormer, we've just realised, would block out a lot of our afternoon sunlight in the summer and our garden misses out on a fair bit of sun anyway.
My thinking is that we could steal a little from two of the bedrooms and have a kite winder staircase. The staircase would enter the loft at it's fullest head height so no need for a dormer. Plus there is direct line of access to the stairs down to the ground floor and out of the front door.
I have attached a couple of pics.
My questions are...

1. what exactly is a protected staircase?
2. is there any reason to not put a staircase where I have shown that I have not thought of?
3. If we are good to go on this final design, does it need to go back to planning for the internal changes?
4. does it need to go back to planning if we simply omit the dormer? Can we just leave it off? If you got that far, then thank you! Any advice/thoughts would be appreciated.

You never have to complete what you have permission for so you can leave anything out.
The exception would be if they added a condition e.g the building must have completed the dormer as drawn before occupation. That would mean you don't have to do the dormer but you can't use it otherwise.

Okay - thank you. That makes sense. I did think we could possibly leave it out.
Anyone got any helpful thoughts regarding my other questions? To me it makes perfect sense ( but of course I'm no architect or builder! )
The bedroom with the stairs starting in it will be still considerably larger than our current 3rd tiny bedroom, despite losing a chunk for the staircase. Where the stairs are in the front room they'll be raised so the space underneath can be utilised with cupboard space, chest of drawers underneath, reading nook for our DCs. Plus then we'll be able to utilise the whole of the loft space for a master bedroom with en suite.

I am shamelessly bumping in case anyone else can help!

A protected staircase is for fire protection. I'd have to look at Approved Document B if the Building Regs to be sure but I don't think you can have an open staircase. It needs to be enclosed using construction of the correct fire rating. You can look at AD B online yourself and find out.

Thank you - I will have a look at that.
I suppose I just want to know if it's possible to have the stairs in that location and what others think of the plan really. Or if I'm missing some problem that I'd not thought of!