Intends to offer government opinions on Requirement B3: "Internal fire spread (structure)" of the Building Regulations 2000 Approved Document B (2002 Edition) and the provision of compartmentation in single-storey shops, which came into force 1 July 2002. The main issue is that this guidance recommends limiting the compartment size ofsingle-storey shops to 2 000sq m, where previously there was no limit. It does however recommend that where sprinklers are provided there is still no limit to the floor area of compartments. Expands on the intentions of the Approved Document, including the issue of extensions, life safety systems and consultation with fire authorities. Suggests that building control bodies will need to consider each case on its own merits, as compliance with the functional requirements of the Building Regulations is always a matter of professional judgement. Case studies and ecommendations are available at www.planning.odpm.gov.uk.