Extremely worried over old rear extension !

keith969

Mags269 wrote: »

Hi Keith969 - thanks, I am now aware of the land registry plans, I was more concerned about the other plans that the Solictors hand over to purchasers, when we bought the house together with the land registery plans (which were very old) there were street plans from the council together with street plans from our water company

They are almost certainly based on the same data i.e. they will have come from Ordnance Survey mapping, you really don't need to worry about it.

Doozergirl

There is a certain amount of work you can do under permitted development. See here:
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/hhg/houseguide.html

Otherwise this existing extension is so old that no-one is going to take enforcement action against you. If you do need planning permission to extend further then that will solve the issue once and for all as you will essentially have planning permission for everything that exists.

I really do think that you're worrying yourself without need. Any extra space adds value to a property. Admittedly a recent extension that is larger than current Permitted Development will allow with no PP is an issue, but a 20 year old extension is not. The existing extension is not an issue so you go through the correct channels with your own planned extension and the house will be worth as much as any other house of that size in your area!

hethmar

Mags FORGET about the previous bit of extension. Get plans drawn up by a local architect or architectural technician for the new planned bedroom. He will put those in for you with planning, no doubt they will accept its ok after a 2 minute look at the planned position, they will send out letters to your neighbours saying you are planning an extension. Hopefully no one will give a *** and then you build the extension. You get building regs to come out and various stages - you will be told all this once the planning is through and then you will have the building signed off when its finished.

Dont worry.

Mags269

Thanks Doozergirl & Hethmar - the size of what my husband is planning on doing is really small, he just wants to make the current room in there a bit bigger to make more of a bedroom size (as it's a touch too narrow as it is, it is currently being used as a toy storage area) as I said earlier, I think it's about 6 ft long x 10 ft wide. I'm a bit confused with regards to asking for planning permission, because as we are thinking about adding it onto the existing ext that doesn't have planning permission, would that complicate matters? If we try to obtain planning permission does that mean, we'd have to include the rest of the existing extension? Also if my husband builds the new ext without informing anyone, then do I take it that after 4 years, it wouldn't be an issue? Thanks both of you for trying to put my poor mind at rest - I do appreciate it!

keith969

Mags269 wrote: »

Also if my husband builds the new ext without informing anyone, then do I take it that after 4 years, it wouldn't be an issue?

That would be a really bad idea... don't do it.

However, as of Oct 1st 2008 there were new rules introduced which mean you can extend your house without PP as long as a few criteria are met. Go look at:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1115315206517.html

for more details. Of course you will need building regs approval.

hethmar

Mags, you are already going grey over the old extension with no planning/building regs! Just get this new one done all bona fide and then you can sit back and never worry about it again.

Doozergirl

hethmar wrote: »

Mags, you are already going grey over the old extension with no planning/building regs! Just get this new one done all bona fide and then you can sit back and never worry about it again.

Never a truer word said!

terry2

Mags269 wrote: »

Hi Terry2 - when you state "get permission to have the work done" - how would I be able to go about that, just bearing in mind that the original ext was built without planning permission?

as part of asking for planning permission you have to include a technical drawing of what the completed property will look like. That needs to be done by somebody competent (ie not you) and preferably local (so they already know the local planners and will know what is acceptable). So find a local architect or building draughtsman and get them to make the application on your behalf (it will cost a little more but it will reduce your hassle).

your original extension is irrelevant it is only the plans of the final property that is relevant; so fret not.

terry2

keith969 wrote: »

That would be a really bad idea... don't do it.

However, as of Oct 1st 2008 there were new rules introduced which mean you can extend your house without PP as long as a few criteria are met. Go look at:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1115315206517.html

for more details. Of course you will need building regs approval.

It has been possible to extend your house without PP for a long time but the conditions were tighter. (so mags269 the previous extension may well have been legal as PP might not have been required). However I agree the rules have now relaxed.

Unfortunately all the PP concessions are based around the size of the house as ORIGINALLY built. When deciding if PP is required it is the total size of the expansions from the original that counts and not the size of the current extension.

Mags269

okay, let me get this straight in my head . .when we have to have the plans drawn up then they would have to show the entire area affected, ie the original extension and it would need to include what the finished area will look like once it's finished?