Kitchen facilities

Wherever possible, living accommodation should contain appropriate amenities to permit occupiers to prepare, or be provided with, meals in the accommodation as well as snacks at reasonable times.  In most cases this would be achieved by provision of kitchen facilities for resident use but in some types of accommodation meals may be prepared by staff.

4.6.6   The requirements for kitchen facilities should take account of the needs of the occupants and the arrangements for meals (for example, meals cooked communally require less space and equipment than if each person cooks separately). Where kitchen facilities are provided for resident use they would be expected to have:

• one sink with integral drainer for a maximum of 5 persons. Every sink must be provided with an adequate piped supply of hot and cold water
• a cold water supply to every sink which is a wholesome water supply, direct from the rising main, suitable for drinking and other domestic purposes.
• a minimum of 1 cubic metre of storage for a maximum of 5 people. An additional 0.2 cubic metres of storage for each person above 5 people should be provided.
• sufficient drawer space for the storage of cutlery and other cooking utensils
• impervious work surface space of 2m length for three people, and for any people above that number an additional 60cm should be provided per person. This is an overall allocation which should provide appropriate space for items such as kettles or microwaves which are not specific to an individual.
• 1 reasonable size refrigerator and 1 reasonable size freezer for a maximum of 5 persons. The freezer need not be sited within the kitchen.
• 1 cooker with oven, grill and 4 cooking plates or rings for a maximum of 5 persons.
• cookers provided with the associated activity space shown in Annexe A and 300mm worktop width available on both sides.
• where cooking is carried out in a bedsitting room, a cooker, sink with drainer and adequate worktop. Adequate worktop in a bedsitting room with a cooker, sink and drainer should be based on a minimum of 900mm with a minimum of 300mm each side of the cooker.

4.6.7   Where any bedroom is provided with a cooker for the sole use of the occupants of that room, these persons should be discounted in determining how many cookers require to be provided in a communal kitchen.

4.6.8   Where all meals are provided to occupants, a facility would be expected to be available for making light snacks and hot drinks. This will include access to a wholesome, piped supply of drinking water.

4.6.9   Microwave ovens and 12 place automatic dishwashers may be provided where appropriate but these should not be considered to entirely replace cookers and sinks.