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Rod Carrol
 
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Default Building an extension

Hello all,

Maybe you can clarify something for me )

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.
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BrianSmedley121
 
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x-no-archive: yes
Rod Carrol wrote in message
m...
Hello all,

Maybe you can clarify something for me )

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.


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.


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Peter Taylor
 
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Default Building an extension

Rod Carrol wrote
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?


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". http://tinyurl.com/2trc7
If 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

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Lobster
 
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Default Building an extension

"Rod Carrol" wrote in message
om...

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 ) so... I'll be taking all
your advice as I look into this over the next few weeks.


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



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Junior Member
 
Posts: 5
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The 'quota', I think refers to this, I reckon - if you want to build a single storey extension in the back garden, you can do so without planning persmission, so long as it is does not extend the overall floorspace of the house by more than 10%. Of course this is a one-off allowance - you can't keep extending by less than 10% every year! I think there is a cut off date - if the house was extended before the 1930s(?) that extension won't use the quota.
  #8   Report Post  
Andrew Gabriel
 
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Default Building an extension

In article ,
cantorthomas writes:

The 'quota', I think refers to this, I reckon - if you want to build a
single storey extension in the back garden, you can do so without
planning persmission, so long as it is does not extend the overall
floorspace of the house by more than 10%. Of course this is a one-off
allowance - you can't keep extending by less than 10% every year! I
think there is a cut off date - if the house was extended before the
1930s(?) that extension won't use the quota.


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.

--
Andrew Gabriel
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Peter Taylor
 
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Default Building an extension


"cantorthomas" wrote in message
...

The 'quota', I think refers to this, I reckon - if you want to build a
single storey extension in the back garden, you can do so without
planning persmission, so long as it is does not extend the overall
floorspace of the house by more than 10%. Of course this is a one-off
allowance - you can't keep extending by less than 10% every year! I
think there is a cut off date - if the house was extended before the
1930s(?) that extension won't use the quota.


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 he http://tinyurl.com/8gle6

Even 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

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Paul
 
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Default Building an extension

Peter Taylor wrote:


"cantorthomas" wrote in message
...


The 'quota', I think refers to this, I reckon - if you want to build a
single storey extension in the back garden, you can do so without
planning persmission, so long as it is does not extend the overall
floorspace of the house by more than 10%. Of course this is a one-off
allowance - you can't keep extending by less than 10% every year! I
think there is a cut off date - if the house was extended before the
1930s(?) that extension won't use the quota.



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 he http://tinyurl.com/8gle6

Even 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


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


  #11   Report Post  
 
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Default Building an extension

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.

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.

  #12   Report Post  
 
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Default Building an extension

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 ?

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

  #13   Report Post  
Peter Taylor
 
Posts: n/a
Default Building an extension


"Paul" wrote in message
...
Peter Taylor wrote:


"cantorthomas" wrote in message
...


The 'quota', I think refers to this, I reckon - if you want to build a
single storey extension in the back garden, you can do so without
planning persmission, so long as it is does not extend the overall
floorspace of the house by more than 10%. Of course this is a one-off
allowance - you can't keep extending by less than 10% every year! I
think there is a cut off date - if the house was extended before the
1930s(?) that extension won't use the quota.



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 he http://tinyurl.com/8gle6

Even 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


Just phone the planning office and they will tell you.


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.

But don't forget to phone building control because they will still want
some money.


Not necessarily.

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Paul
 
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Default Building an extension

snip

Just phone the planning office and they will tell you.



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.

But don't forget to phone building control because they will still
want some money.



Not necessarily.

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

Paul
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