conservation area

SSidhu

Hi All,
I am wondering if you can help me.I am buying a house but from the Local Authority search, it came out that the house is in conservation area and also there is a garrage at the back of the property and the vendor has been refused permission for that in 2007. Estate agents are telling me that the Indemnity Insurance will cover the fact having a garrage and there is no downside to it. This is so confusing. please please somebody who knows about it help me.
SS

G_M

The local authority could require you to remove the garage. The indemnity insurance will cover the cost of this removal.

With normal Planning breaches there is a time-limit (4 years?) after which the local authority cannot take enforcement action, however with Listed Buildings and (I think!) Connservation Areas, there is no time limit.

Jeffrey_Shaw

SSidhu wrote: »

Hi All,
I am wondering if you can help me.I am buying a house but from the Local Authority search, it came out that the house is in conservation area and also there is a garrage at the back of the property and the vendor has been refused permission for that in 2007. Estate agents are telling me that the Indemnity Insurance will cover the fact having a garrage and there is no downside to it. This is so confusing. please please somebody who knows about it help me.
SS

Be guided by your solicitor who will be able to explain which Indemnity Insurer is being used [there are several!] and against exactly what risks the policy would cover you. As always with insurance, the small print is very important.

puddy

at the very least you need to reduce the offer price to that matching other properties without a garage as legally, it dosent have one

tyler80

Refused permission by the council surely means the council are aware of it so not sure that an indemnity policy can apply?

Jeffrey_Shaw

tyler80 wrote: »

Refused permission by the council surely means the council are aware of it so not sure that an indemnity policy can apply?

As always, it depends on the precise policy terms- so maybe yes, maybe no.

G_M

tyler80 wrote: »

Refused permission by the council surely means the council are aware of it so not sure that an indemnity policy can apply?

Does not follow.

*Home owner applies for permission
*Council refuses
*Owner ignores council and build anyway
*council has NO knowledge that the garage has been built

tyler80

I read it (not quite sure why) as they'd applied for retrospective permission, my mistake.

I.e. there is a garage which was built and they applied for permission for in 2007 rather than they applied for planning permission which was refused but built the garage anyway.

puddy

tyler80 wrote: »

I read it (not quite sure why) as they'd applied for retrospective permission, my mistake.

I.e. there is a garage which was built and they applied for permission for in 2007 rather than they applied for planning permission which was refused but built the garage anyway.

i read it that way too but i dont know why

G_M

All the OP says is " the vendor has been refused permission for that in 2007. "

No indication if it was 'normal' (pre-works) Planning Application, or retrospective.

It says a lot about society these days. People often seem to think they can build what they like and then apply and get it approved. And apparently you both assumed this was what was attempted.

puddy

well i certainly dont think someone can build what they want and then get it approved

i suppose if it was me, i would have written, the vendor applied for planning for a garage in 2007 but this was refused but built one later

rather than the OP writing 'he has been refused planning for that'

it made it sound like it was already there when he requested permission, but there you are