Extension or hut?

lbeaton

Hello,

My troublesome neighbours applied for planning permission for an extension 1 year ago - which was granted subject to the usual conditions. The plans were for a pitched roofed structure onto the gable end closest to my house, 60mm from my fence at the boundary.

Work is now well underway but it does not resemble the plans. Instead a timber faced lean-to has been added which is unsightly to say the least. It comes up to the fence as per the plans but leaves no space for guttering. On questioning our neighbour he states that it is a hut, which doesn't need consents. The appearance is not in keeping with the house which is roughcast in white.

Is he correct? It is attached to his house but I am uncertain as to whether there is a doorway connecting it to the main house as indicated in the original plans. The guttering will be over the boundary, is that allowed? Our garden would be flooded otherwise.

Thanks in advance.

Doozergirl

lbeaton wrote: »

Hello,

My troublesome neighbours applied for planning permission for an extension 1 year ago - which was granted subject to the usual conditions. The plans were for a pitched roofed structure onto the gable end closest to my house, 60mm from my fence at the boundary.

Work is now well underway but it does not resemble the plans. Instead a timber faced lean-to has been added which is unsightly to say the least. It comes up to the fence as per the plans but leaves no space for guttering. On questioning our neighbour he states that it is a hut, which doesn't need consents. The appearance is not in keeping with the house which is roughcast in white.

Is he correct? It is attached to his house but I am uncertain as to whether there is a doorway connecting it to the main house as indicated in the original plans. The guttering will be over the boundary, is that allowed? Our garden would be flooded otherwise.

Thanks in advance.

The guttering can't overhang the boundary, no. Is the structure sloping towards your land.

As they've got PP, I would call the planning office, let them know that it doesn't look anything like the plans and let them decide.

You can look at the planning portal in the meantime. Google 'planning portal permitted development' they have an interactive house which tells you what would be allowed without PP.

I_have_spoken

The guttering will be over the boundary, is that allowed?

Nope, that's a trespass and certainly wouldn't have been given PP, so you know right away the neighbour isn't building to the submitted plan. Bell the Council planning dept. 1st thing on Monday.

lbeaton

Thanks, I'll definitely give planning a ring on Monday.

The 'hut' measure about 7m long, 2.5m wide and 9ft sloping down to 7ft for the roof, and the roof does slope down towards my garden. We live in a conservation area into the bargain.

It really is unsightly!

Doozergirl

The position of the guttering has nothing to do with planning. You can apply for planning permission in the gardens of Buckingham Palace if you wanted to.

Doozergirl

lbeaton wrote: »

Thanks, I'll definitely give planning a ring on Monday.

The 'hut' measure about 7m long, 2.5m wide and 9ft sloping down to 7ft for the roof, and the roof does slope down towards my garden. We live in a conservation area into the bargain.

It really is unsightly!

Permitted development rights don't exist in a conservation area; you may very well have ground here with the planners.

Gloomendoom

Doozergirl wrote: »

The position of the guttering has nothing to do with planning. You can apply for planning permission in the gardens of Buckingham Palace if you wanted to.

This is my experience. My neighbour applied for, and was granted, planning permission for a new build that encroached on my property. I pointed this out to the local planning department at the consultation stage but it made no difference to their decision to approve. Luckily the matter was resolved amicably between ourselves later on. The planning department couldn't have cared less.

Ectophile

I wonder if he's claiming it's a garden shed, rather than a home extension. If so, it only needs to meed permitted development rules http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/miniguide

keystone

Ectophile wrote: »

I wonder if he's claiming it's a garden shed, rather than a home extension. If so, it only needs to meed permitted development rules

Ummm

lbeaton wrote: »

We live in a conservation area into the bargain.

and

Doozergirl wrote: »

Permitted development rights don't exist in a conservation area;

Ohhh!

Cheers

Ectophile

This document http://www.planningportal.gov.uk//uploads/100806_PDforhouseholders_TechnicalGuidance.pdf suggests it's not as simple as there being no permitted development rights in a conservation area. See section E.

Doozergirl

Ectophile wrote: »

This document http://www.planningportal.gov.uk//uploads/100806_PDforhouseholders_TechnicalGuidance.pdf suggests it's not as simple as there being no permitted development rights in a conservation area. See section E.

Fair enough!

Thinking about this, to qualify under section E, an outbuilding, it would need to be detached from the house. Admittedly, only slightly (going by previous appeals, even 2.5cm counts as detached) but it would involve it having four of its own walls, not using the house as a wall.

So, under class A extensions, yes, they could also build at the rear but the materials need to be in keeping with the house...