Applied for HMO. officer demands completly secure escape route

HMO Licensing

I have a 3 storey town house, the bottom floor has two ensuite rooms and common kitchen for them. The second floor is open floor with enclosed kitchen and the third contains 3 rooms and bathroom.all regulations complied with;fire doors with self closures, mains linked alarm systems and fire entinguishers and fire blankets. HMO officer insists on puting a partion on the second floor as secure route. my argument is that the second and top floor are occupied by family and the bottom floor by two seperate persons. Same house occupied by family does not require this safe passage so whats changed if only the bottom floor is rented separatly the top is still family. Do I have grounds for a tribunal request otherwise it will reduce the size of the living room for the family significantly. please point me the right direction or enlighten me. thanks in advance