Planning officer right or wrong ?

bigdom

Basic question - but is there a right answer? Submitted plans for a 2 storey extension to my semi detached house. All other extensions in my street have a level roofline. But, our planning officer wants us to drop the roofline by 4 inches so the extension looks obvious. This suggestion is not in keeping with other houses in my street. Is he right and is this recent guidance? What is the best course of action ? Many thanks

Tallymanjohn

Have you asked 'why' the planning officer wants the roofline dropping? If it's a definite reason then fine, but if not then you need to argue the point - bureaucrats need putting down occasionally!!

wobbley

Tallymanjohn wrote:

bureaucrats need putting down occasionally!!

Usually with planning officers it's because they need their palms greasing.

star1_2

Planning policies vary dependant upon the area you live in, and it's approach to applications. Where I live it's common for OPP to only be granted if the extension (above the ground level) is set back by at least 2 metres back from the front of the existing property. To my knowledge we have no issue regarding the roofline height needing to be below the existing.

Ask the officer (politly) if this is a planning policy?, and what dictates this decision?, point out nicely the precident that has been set with other applications - negotiate and see if there is any scope for compromise.

If you upset your planning officer, it will only go to give you problems later during the build .... they might be inflexable with future requests, modifications or times for later necessary visits that have to take place during the build ! .... "keep them on your side"....

angelavdavis

I had the same issues a few years ago when applying for a two storey extension. I don't know what Local Authority you are in, but this was in North London. The excuse they gave was that it made the extension" too imposing for the street". The downside of their insistence was that it left us short on head-height for the turn in the stairs!

It sounds like you have a stronger case (not many houses in my street had the side area for an extension so our house would have been creating a precedent). I would take photographs of other extensions in the street and enclose in the application. Base your case on the fact that dropping the roof would be setting a precedent and that you considered the roofline being maintained as maintaining the rhythm of the rooflines in the street.

By the way, I temped in the Barnet offices a couple of years afterwards whilst waiting for my house to sell. One of the planners admitted that because they were so inundated with applications for extensions, they routinely refused first applications!

I can't say if this practice is widespread, but it makes you think doesn't it!!!

Having said that, star1 is right, but you can appeal and still be polite about it - its your civil right!