An End To Loft Conversions?

garethhr

The Planning White Paper, unveiled a few weeks ago, was pitched as a sensible reform of the planning laws. It would, we were told, do away with planning permission for "minor developments" such as extensions and loft conversions.



But it seems the devil is in the detail. Builders are now saying the White Paper gives with one hand and takes away with the other.

So while old fashioned planning permission is to be reformed, a new 'impact test' for certain home improvements will reintroduce it by the back door – and could turn out to be much more stringent than the old regime.

The Planning White Paper states that "developments considered to have more than a low impact on the wider neighbourhood and/or street scene would require specific planning permission from the local planning authority."

This, warns the Federation of Master Builders, will in practice wipe out loft conversions. Brian Berry, FMB External Affairs Director, said:

"It is quite devious how the Planning White Paper has emphasised the removal of planning permission for home renovations whilst at the same time hiding the effective removal of permitted development rights for loft conversions.

"By applying the impact test to front or side roof extensions and to rear roof extensions that are less than one metre from eaves, ridges, verges or party walls, the proposal effectively wipes out all loft conversions in built up urban areas."

Bear in mind, though, that the White Paper is a consultation document, and the legislation that finally emerges from the process will probably have come to terms with these issues.

Just to be sure, the FMB is forming a loft action group to lobby the Government before the consultation deadline on 17th August.

http://www.findaproperty.com/displaystory.aspx?edid=00&salerent=0&storyid=20386

maryjane01

I asked in the loft conversion thread about getting planning permission for a back dorma on the back of a terrace house, because I had read a similar article to this. Going by the above article I guess it would not be a permitted development. We cannot afford the conversion now, but possibly in 2-3 years. Would it be worth getting planning permission before the end of this year?

chartreuse_2

In fact, when the white paper was announced, I said that they were using some PR about making things easier for DIY-ers as a fig leaf to hide giving major developers carte blanche to wreck any village they cared to. FWIW I went on to opine that, by the time the dust had settled, all of the exemptions for home owners would have disappeared, leaving only the abolition of our right to object to having housing estates built in our window boxes.

I didn't expect to be proven correct so quickly

ormus

this gov wouldnt know a sensible reform if it fell out of the sky and landed on its head.

spin spin spin.

vaio

chartreuse wrote: »

In fact, when the white paper was announced, I said that they were using some PR about making things easier for DIY-ers as a fig leaf to hide giving major developers carte blanche to wreck any village they cared to. FWIW I went on to opine that, by the time the dust had settled, all of the exemptions for home owners would have disappeared, leaving only the abolition of our right to object to having housing estates built in our window boxes.

I didn't expect to be proven correct so quickly

I thought the new law as actually about building nuclear power stations, roads and similar without all those inconvenient planning enquiries