Roof Terrace Conversion Help Please

haleybeth

Hello all, I need a bit of advice because I really dont know where to start. We live on the first floor of a victorian terrace conversion block of flats. It's a leasehold and the freeholder owns the ground floor flat. On the other side of our bedroom is the roof of the ground floor flat. We would like to (somehow) turn this into a roof terrace by putting a door in the bedroom leading to the roof. Our neighbors have done this on both sides of us so I think it should be ok. BUT there are two skylights at one end of the roof. My questions are these:

1. due to the skylights, is this whole thing a no-go?
2. what order should we be speaking to people? Architect (for structural soundness etc)/builders/solicitors/flat owner etc?
3. What type of planning permission might we need?
4. What should we expect to pay for all of this?!

Thanks very much for any advice!:)

BitterAndTwisted

Just because there is a roof outside your property does not mean that you have the right to access it or build on it. Read your lease first then speak to the freeholder and see if they might agree to you purchasing that right. Expect it to be expensive even if possible

Strapped

10-1 if the freeholder owns the ground floor flat they will tell you "NO".

haleybeth

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Just because there is a roof outside your property does not mean that you have the right to access it or build on it. Read your lease first then speak to the freeholder and see if they might agree to you purchasing that right. Expect it to be expensive even if possible

There is nothing in the lease about it and I'm working on the assumption that I dont have the right and I'll have to pay (a hefty amount) for it! I just dont know if I should even bother if there are skylights? And if I should find out costs from builders/architects/solicitors first before making a bid to the owner?

haleybeth

Strapped wrote: »

10-1 if the freeholder owns the ground floor flat they will tell you "NO".

haha all I can do is try!

propertyman

The two criteria are

1: if the landlrod in principle prepared to consider it

2: If the roof is the landlords to give consent on; it may be demised to, and/or repaired by the GFF.

I think you are right in that the skylights mean a huge potential intrusion through noise privacy and if they are used for ventilation, considerable interruption to their home.

The landlord can seek a premium based on the increase in value to your flat less construction costs; that any alterations to the structure to bear the load of the deck, and/ or install a new covering, their surveyors fees for dealing with the consent and ensuring what was proposed was built, the solcitors costs for the addendum to the lease for the area.

You may also need to

So the first step is to approach your neighbours and gauge their view, obtain a copy of the lease as to who owns that roof/is responsible for upkeep, and then ask eh freeholder in principle.

You then look at the structure to see what is required, and based on approximate costs, can decide if you can afford to proceed with formal application, agree a price, and then proceed with the formal consent and licence from the landlord, and get (Planning B Regs) consents and a specification and tendering.

You may have to pay the GFF a little something for the noise disruption and their consent.

Richard_Webster

The mere use of the roof is arguably simply ancillary to a residential use so probably as such does not need planning permission, but as soon as you want to erect anything like safety rails then they would need planning permission and the Council might not be too keen - depends on their policies and how many other shave already done it.

RAS

reported for touting for business

G_M

tim_rainbow wrote: »

Try speaking with a planning company called rip-off-consultants. You will probably find them by searching in Google.
I found them very helpful with a similar experience.

Cheers

Spam reported.. all tim's posts relate to this company.