Extensions, party walls and conservation areas

casper_g

The boundary between our land and our neighbour's currently has a party fence wall, brick built, straddling the boundary.

We are in the early stages of thinking about building a single-storey side extension up to this boundary. We won't be putting a spade in the ground for a number of years, but are starting to plan what is needed.

We would ideally want to remove this party fence wall and build the wall of our new extension on the boundary, with a parapet so there would be no drainpipes etc. on the neighbour's side.

My question regards planning permission for the works. Our extension would be permitted development, but the neighbour's house (and not ours) is in a conservation area.

Does anyone know if the fact that the wall adjoins the conservation area will mean that planning permission is needed for the whole project? Or just for this element of the work?

teneighty

A rear single storey extension will probably still be permitted development in a conservation area so shouldn't be a problem.

casper_g

teneighty wrote: »

A rear single storey extension will probably still be permitted development in a conservation area so shouldn't be a problem.

This is a side extension, visible from the road.

A bit of additional info: the conservation area is the subject of an "Article 4(2) Direction" which apparently means that it is necessary to obtain consent from the Council for minor development that would otherwise be permitted development, including:

• the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of a dwelling house; or
• the erection (to include construction, maintenance, improvement, alteration) and demolition of a fence, gate, wall or other means of enclosure.

We would be building an extension fronting the road on a house outside the conservation area (so presumably no consent needed) but we would also want to demolish the garden wall of the house next door, which is inside the conservation area.

teneighty

I missed the word "side" on your original post. D'oh.

Then it would seem that you may need to make an application for the demolition of the wall and if you build the extension "up to" the boundary, not "on it" it should be outside the conservation area.

Might be worth having a word with the planners as when you start dealing with conservation areas, especially with an Article 4 they can throw in "heritage assets" and "adjacent to a conservation area" etc. which muddy the waters and it is not necessarily clear cut.