Building Regs and Planning Help!

tightasagnats

Hello folks,

I'm looking at houses with my cousin, and one (as many do) has an extension on the back, which after searching local planning website, appears not to have sought or been granted permission (or needed it?). It almost certainly was added some years ago, and the house in general is run down. It's a total of 9m long but part of that would include the "old" house (so looks like a 6m extension).

Floorplans here: http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/40625184?featured=1&utm_content=featured_listing#ZA3CE1aXTR6wCKaD.97

We have 2 questions:

1. You can see that it's 2 rooms - 6m plus 3m at the back. The concern is that even if it had not required planning permission - i.e. be within permitted development at the time, is there a way of checking whether it met Building Regs?

2. If something is over 4 years old, my understanding is that the council cannot "do" anything about things built without planning permission - but would any application to extend sideways into the "side return" be allowed for the full length of the existing extension? i.e. match the current footprint lengthwise into garden , or be limited to 6m from the wall at start of side return?

Another concern is that without meeting building regs whole thing may have to be knocked down for any further development to be approved. In London, many houses are like this. Any help appreciated, as this will affect house value and potential future expenses!!

Doozergirl

You are wrong in your assumption that a build without building regs may have to be knocked down. Formal national building regulations only began in 1986, so anything previous can't comply anyway.

Just because you have searched the planning portal does not mean it didn't have planning permission. Many councils are missing a huge amount of planning history.

Extending further will depend purely on the individual house, but as a rear extension, a side return extension can only be 3m under pure permitted development rules, 6m with consultation under the prior notification scheme. From the original back wall. Squaring off requires planning permission.

tightasagnats

Thanks for your help, it was a question, not an assumption - and includes the concern that it may have to be rebuilt in order to be decent and dwellable, not just legal, if that makes sense.

We wondered if - for example - the old bit is not compliant with current regs and is inspected as part of the whole project if side return filled in, or would be viewed separately (even if it forms part of a new bigger room)?

What is squaring off? I'm not familiar with that term, even if I can sort of imagine what it means.

Doozergirl

The new extension would be viewed separately by the building control officer.

You actually don't know what paperwork it has at the moment, but a lack of paperwork doesn't necessarily gonhand in hand with being substandard. Period property would be considered vastly 'substandard' now when measured against regulations but they are still prized. A house built in 1996 would be substandard for insulation, one built in 2003 for glazing performance and one built in 2014 for the fuse board. Amongst many other things.

You said it was built some time ago. It cannot and would not be measured against current regs. They move too fast.

Bu squaring off, I mean building the back of the house completely level instead of the stepped original back wall that must have existed for it to have a side return. If a single storey extension is built entirely within permitted development - either 3m or 6m, it would have to be stepped like the original house.

tightasagnats

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I'm getting the PD vs PP thing.

I think my cousin is worried about something being built by a relative or friend of owners and not having correct drains etc, wiring being dangerous, or uninsurable etc. You should see some of the shockers we've viewed already....

tightasagnats

Ok, so we had a good look at the place today - I wonder if you can help again? The extended bit appears to have been done more than 13 years ago i.e. before they moved in. Extension seems to have a low ceiling (I can touch it and I'm 5'7"), flat roof, so can this be heightened (i.e. is there any height restriction?) If you look at pic you can see the support beam which is where old property ended. Floor goes down as you step into this room - and then there's a step up again into the kitchen at the end. If we were to extend out into side return for part of the length, then I can't imagine it'd be a big deal to build this up a bit and put diff roof on?

teneighty

You need to establish what is original and what is a later extension.

Looking at the agents floor plan it looks like the dining room and first floor bathroom and small bedroom would have been original. The rear outrigger or rear addition is quite a common late Victorian and early Edwardian terraced properties.

The single storey kitchen is probably a later extension or converted outbuilding (coal store/outside lavatory) and would probably have been permitted development under Planning rules but would certainly have required Building Regulations approval, even back in the mists of time. There have been building regulations of one form or another going back many many years. However, that may not be important and may not affect your future plans.

The proposed side return extension you mention could well be permitted development. Rather contrary to intuition it will be classed as a side extension provided it does not project beyond the original rear wall of the outrigger and does not join up with the kitchen extension. If it does it becomes a wrap around side and rear extension and is unlikely to be permitted development.

tightasagnats

Thank you. I think that concurs with Doozergirl above and you're right about the original vs added bits of the property.


Any idea about ceiling issue? I know there's a max height for single storey, looks to me it ain't up there!

teneighty

You could raise the flat roof and build the walls up, you can go up to 3 metres eaves height under permitted development which should be plenty. There are other factors that come in to play but it should technically be possible.

Doozergirl

Raising the roof will fall under the prior notification for permitted development if it goes out 6 metres. The local authority and neighbours need to be notified.

You really need to decide what you want to do before trying to work out what permissions it needs.

Planning Permission itself isn't such a big deal and wouldn't be contentious, but it may be a necessity in some scenarios.

tightasagnats

Thank you both. We are working out whether what is desirable is possible, and worth it!!! So if we stick within 3m along side return then is roof raising not an issue?