Internal Garage conversion refusal - due to loosing one parking space

werdas

Hello
long story short
we are young family, seen neighbors next block (3 of them in identical houses) had their garage conversions done

got the architect, plans (as permitted rights are removed )
applied
application been refused due to loosing one car parking space, LA saying for this size property (3 bed only LOL) there should be 2 car parking spaces.
asked what about other neighbors, they said out of 3 only one had applications but it could be due to either they did not need application or they just did it...
anyway Im not about other people etc
I understand I can appeal, but I feel it is dead end.
what are my options:
1. partial conversions, would they come to check etc?
2. still do a conversion and expect I will get away with fine or I will be told to change it back?
3?...

funny thing is in this housing crisis LA's are worried more about parking then living space...

Thanks

stueyhants

appeal it, you'll probably win

Prothet_of_Doom

You have 4 options.

1) Argue that the garage is Not big enough for your car so there is no loss of a parking space.
2) Change the Garage door for one with windows (for natural light) and build your conversion behind the door. Hidden by a garage door.
3) GO UP into the loft. The biggest room in our house is a 3.9 x 4.2 metre loft room. The size of a double garage ?
4) Forget the idea.

Personally I think that garages should NOT be converted into rooms, and that they should be converted into garages, where cars are parked, and if that means buying a car small enough to fit, then I'd be doing that. If not used as a garage, a proper work shop with bench and cupboards holding tools and a beer fridge.

werdas

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

You have 4 options.

1) Argue that the garage is Not big enough for your car so there is no loss of a parking space.
2) Change the Garage door for one with windows (for natural light) and build your conversion behind the door. Hidden by a garage door.
3) GO UP into the loft. The biggest room in our house is a 3.9 x 4.2 metre loft room. The size of a double garage ?
4) Forget the idea.

Personally I think that garages should NOT be converted into rooms, and that they should be converted into garages, where cars are parked, and if that means buying a car small enough to fit, then I'd be doing that. If not used as a garage, a proper work shop with bench and cupboards holding tools and a beer fridge.

Loft is out of my budget
our kitchen is so small so we have to keep our fridge and freezer in the garage so we hate running outside to the garage for a pint of milk at 11pm
option 2 sound attractive but if LA finds out would they fine us? or tell us to revert everything back?

System

Is there on street parking and do you have a drive way that can accommodate cars?
I've come across a refusal like this before, basically if the local plan has a requirement or your development had a set parking provision then it takes a lot of argument to get around.

dc197

Double check that you need permission. My neighbour converted hers and a neighbour complained to council but was told permission was not required.

Doozergirl

dc197 wrote: »

Double check that you need permission. My neighbour converted hers and a neighbour complained to council but was told permission was not required.

If you read the OP, they did check, it does need permission.

There isn't a way around it. Appealing will almost certainly show that the local guidance requires x number of parking spaces. Totally acceptable for an LA to ask. Developers squeeze in so many houses in their drive for profit, there's no road parking to speak of. Homeowners lose out when PD rights are removed. It doesn't say a lot for quality of amenity.

The choice is to risk it, like the neighbours, but to understand that all the cost could ultimately be lost when it comes to sale.

adonis

Reminds me of when I was going to have a small conservatory, the local planning office said I would need an additional parking space before I would get permission, did they think I was going to put a lodger in there?

I never had it built in the end.

Running_Horse

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

Personally I think that garages should NOT be converted into rooms, and that they should be converted into garages, where cars are parked, and if that means buying a car small enough to fit, then I'd be doing that. If not used as a garage, a proper work shop with bench and cupboards holding tools and a beer fridge.

Personally, I think that people should be allowed to do whatever they like with their houses, if it doesn't hurt others.

My row of houses used to have internal car ports that the smallest vehicle could not fit in and have the door opened. Now they all have spacious kitchens and cupboards, with off road spaces for two cars.

Not everyone is the same. I don't drive and don't see why I should have to sacrifice living room for my family so neighbours can have parking for two polluting cars.

dirty_magic

This does seem a bit stupid given that most people don't park in their garages.

Does your car even fit in the garage? Most garages now are so small that although the car fits in you wouldn't be able to open the door to get out.

moneyistooshorttomention

I can see that other people would be impacted by having one fewer car parking space available. It's also entirely logical that a 3 bedroom house would quite likely (in this day and age) have 2 cars - ie with the high number of 2-car families there are these days.

What isn't logical is why someone would buy a house with one less room than they require and then try and convert the garage to make that extra room that is a personal wish for one household (rather than a need for any household in that particular house).

That is the logic the Council will be using - as they have to act in the best interests of all ratepayers and not just one household that apparently didnt foresee a wish for an extra room on the house they bought (presumably having viewed it and knowing what it was like at the time they bought it).

I'm not a car-owner - but I do frequently witness the "parking wars" that go on between households that own cars (because of all those multi-car households around these days).

Whether someone does actually use their garage as a garage is entirely up to the household concerned - and non-use of it as one isnt something that should impinge on neighbouring houses (ie by exacerbating those "parking wars").