Building an extension

Hello all,

Maybe you can clarify something for me :o)

About 5 years ago we converted the loft in our terraced 4 bedroom house to make it a five bedroom, (the small box room at the top of the stairs became a 'landing'/computer area and we had two new loft bedrooms created for our elder sons). The loft conversion is a 'dormer' type.

Now - we'd like to expand the downstairs as we literally only have the living room and kitchen down there, (together with a downstairs loo and utility area housing the washing machine/tumble dryer).

Our plan is to make an extension back into the garden and move the kitchen in there.

What is now the kitchen, (12' x 16') would be gutted and made into a 'family' room/dining room - giving us much needed extra space downstairs.

If the budget can stretch, I'd like to also go for a porch at the front - but thats a big 'if'.

Question: A friend says I may have difficulty in getting planning permission for this because I already have a loft conversion and may have used up my 'quota'.

Does this sound right?

Any advice appreciated.

Plod.

Reply to
Rod Carrol
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No, it's totally wrong. Aceptability will depend on design, size, impact on heighbours, that sort of thing. Go and see your plannng offic ewith a sketch & get their views.

Reply to
BrianSmedley121

Rod Carrol wrote

No. I think the "quota" he's on about is the amount it is allowed to enlarge a property without needing to apply for formal Planning Permission. There are rules, but for terraced houses this is 50 cubic metres or 10% of the volume of the original house (whichever is greater), with an upper limit of 115 cubic metres. There's nothing to say you can't extend the house by more than this, only that you need to apply for formal Planning Approval to do so. In any case, I'm pretty sure a conversion of an existing loft space inside the original structure doesn't use up any of this allowance (except maybe the dormers).

The legislation relating to this is The Town & Country Planning General Development Order 1988, known as the "GDO".

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you build under this allowance, make sure you get a "Certificate of Lawful Development" from the Planners. This will avoid any nasty questions from the buyers Solicitors when you eventually sell the house.

I agree with Brian - go and see the Planners.

Peter

Reply to
Peter Taylor

Other have answered most of your questions. I would say that the porch on the front is the least likely to get permission.

This depends on a lot of things especially your council but in West London most councils are not unreasonable on extensions at the back but flatly refuse to allow any change to either the front or the height of terraced houses.

Could be worth putting this item down separately to the rear extension so they can refuse one but let the other go through.

Hope this helps

Andy

Reply to
me

Thanks for the quick responses, guys - I appreciate that.

I thought it didn't sound quite right - especially as he couldn't tell me what 'quota' he was going on about :o) so... I'll be taking all your advice as I look into this over the next few weeks.

Thanks ever so much,

Plod

Reply to
Rod Carrol

Just to add my two penn'orth... I'd thoroughly recommend a visit to the planning office; they are usually open to meeting people, and you could informally run your ideas past them (take photos along, of your house and the street; plus rough sketches of your proposals) and you should get some useful feedback on how the planning committee are likely to receive the application, plus suggestions on what you should or shouldn't do to increase chances of success. By going in person and establishing some rapport, you might find they'll open up a bit and give you useful 'off the record' information. Well worth doing, before you start laying out cash to architects etc.

You might also want to consider the effect of your proposal on the value of your property, if you do go ahead. Any estate agent will tell you it's certainly possible to over-extend; eg, if you were to convert a two-up two-down in a run-down inner city area into a 4-storey 6-bedroom mansion with swimming pool, it won't sell - locals wouldn't want it or be able to afford it; and those buyers who could afford it wouldn't want to live in that area. An exaggeration, but you get the point...!

David

Reply to
Lobster

The 'quota', I think refers to this, I reckon - if you want to build

single storey extension in the back garden, you can do so withou planning persmission, so long as it is does not extend the overal floorspace of the house by more than 10%. Of course this is a one-of allowance - you can't keep extending by less than 10% every year! think there is a cut off date - if the house was extended before th

1930s(?) that extension won't use the quota

-- cantorthomas

Reply to
cantorthomas

You also need to check the original planning permission for the house. Two houses were built near be recently, but as they are rather large for their small plots, they were deemed to have used up their extra 10% in the original building. I'm told this is quite common when cramming houses onto plots with little space around them, as has become common with many new build estates.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

It's not quite as simple as that. You can extend on the front (subject to conditions), and the maximum is 10% or 50 cubic metres (whichever is larger) for terraced houses and 15% or 70 cubic metres for other types, subject to a maximum of 115m³. There are lots of other exceptions. The actual regulations are here:

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if you think your proposal complies with these rules, it's very dangerous to just go ahead and start building as there are many other considerations that apply. It's essential to check with the council first. If it does comply, ask them to give you a "Certificate of Lawfulness", which they will normally do for free. This will go with your deeds to prove the extension is legal when you come to sell.

Peter

Reply to
Peter Taylor

Just phone the planning office and they will tell you. But don't forget to phone building control because they will still want some money.

Paul

Reply to
Paul

What's all this phoning. Its good to phone for info, but make sure you get anything in writing. Incidentally, whats the difference between the planning office examining your plans and granting you planning permission, and the planning office examining your plans and telling you that you don't need planning permission ? Just wondered. Don't you get a certificate of lawfulness either way ? Simon.

Reply to
sm_jamieson

To answer my own question ... the fee ! Simon.

Reply to
sm_jamieson

Not true. They will only quote the rules - they can't tell you if your proposals exceed the limits or are on Article 1(5) land whatever. I repeat, you need to write in and get confirmation in writing back from them.

Not necessarily.

Reply to
Peter Taylor

Just recounting my experience. I had to pay for building regs.

Paul

Reply to
Paul

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