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Would this be permitted development

Hi I'm just after a bit of advice please.

I've had a look and have got so confused. We would like to extend at the side of our end terrace house. It's 3 meters long by 1 meter wide. We would like to turn it into a downstairs toilet but we don't know if it would be allowed. We are going to get someone in to draw some plans.

There is a small wall dividing our side of the garden to next doors garden, so we won't be infringing on our neighbours wall/house as it will come up to our boundary.

Thanks for any help

Comments

  • TDPIX
    TDPIX Posts: 263
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    Even though this is by a boundary, this should be fine if it's a single story. It also might depend on where in the UK you live.

    But in general for permitted development:

    * Extensions at the front are not allowed. Side and rear extensions are generally allowed.
    * Side and rear extensions that are within 2m of a neighbour's boundary cannot exceed 3m in height. So a single story extension is usually fine, whilst a double story would not be.
    * Extensions are allowed as long as they don't add more than 50% (or is it 25%?) of the original area to the house. In this case, a 3x1m extension will be far less than this.

    There's other restrictions of course, but in general this sound like it should be fine.
  • By no means am I thick but my God reading some of the stuff was like gobbledygook. It's only a single story for a downstairs loo so nothing fancy.

    Thanks for your help :j:j
  • rosie383
    rosie383 Posts: 4,981 Forumite
    Pretty sure that you will have to apply for prior approval from the council anyway and they will be pretty quick to tell you if you can do it under PD.
    Ours wasn't allowed because of some covenant in the deeds. Worth checking before you spend any money.
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  • Doozergirl
    Doozergirl Posts: 33,775
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    edited 16 January 2017 at 10:51AM
    https://ecab.planningportal.co.uk/uploads/miniguides/extensions/Extensions.pdf

    'Designated land' in these guides means things like listed buildings, conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty.

    The original house is as it stood in 1948.

    If you are not on designated land and the house hasn't been extended to the side since 1948 then what you suggest is almost certainly permitted development.

    There are a few inaccuracies in the posts above.

    Outside designated areas and greenbelt there are no specific rules on the percentage you can increase the house by under PD. You cannot build on more than 50% of your garden and side extensions should not be wider than half the width of the original house.

    You would not need 'prior approval'. This is a formal process. You can ask the planners if it falls under PD just to check.

    Planning are not concerned with covenants in deeds at all. They are unrelated. If there are covenants denying the right to build extensions then indemnity policies are available to protect against enforcement should you go ahead.

    You will need building regulstions approval. This checks the quality of the build.

    If you are within 3 metres of the neighbouring boundary then the Party Wall Act would apply. This is separate from planning. If you have a good relationship with next door and they're okay with the idea of the build then I hope that party wall surveyors don't need to be involved, but in theory you should serve them a notice.
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  • Thanks dozergirl that's really helpful. The extension wouldn't impact at all on next door but we do have a good relationship anyway so had intended to approach them about it.
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