Planning permission for Garage conversion or is it a garage?

suvp

Hi this is an absolute newbie ftb to this forum.
I'm in the process of buying a house, my offer has been accepted - mortgage offer received, survey/valuation complete. Draft contract paperwork received, searches applied for. one of the issues noted in the survey were -
The owner has converted the garage on the inside to a tv room but without applying for permission. we did not know that as it is listed as a tv room/ reception room. In the contract paperwork the seller states that it is still a garage hence no permission required. My solicitor states without permission papers it is not a habitable space and has noted this to the lender.We are waiting to know if this changes the value of the property. The EA are adamant that this is a garage conversion and that it does not change anything. My solicitor notes that it is not a conversion if the seller is calling it a garage now! I am confused on how to approach this issue. We like the house but am concerned that if i go ahead with this property will planning permission ask to have it stripped back to a garage given there is no permission? Should I be renegotiating the price as this room is now being called a garage? I am a FTB and the jargon is very intimidating!
Any advice is much appreciated! TIA

silvercar

Does it fall under permitted development and not need planning permission?

suvp

I am told that the house requires planning permission if i want to make any changes to it. i.e. it has a conservatory and the owners have been asked to show proof of planning permission for this.

martinsurrey

suvp wrote: »

I am told that the house requires planning permission if i want to make any changes to it. i.e. it has a conservatory and the owners have been asked to show proof of planning permission for this.

I am told doesnt not mean it is right, WHY does the conservatory require permission,

is it an article 4 notice?
is it a listed building?
we/you need to understand why they might need planning.

Surrey_EA

It is possible that the garage conversion does not require planning permission:

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/25/garage_conversion

But it will have needed to comply with building regulations.

kirtondm

agreed the more key question is does it have building regs?

suvp

apologies... I used the wrong terminology...the garage does not have Building Regulations approval.
As for the conservatory they have been asked for the planning permission and the Building Regulations approval and development rights have been removed from this property.

Davesnave

suvp wrote: »

apologies... I used the wrong terminology...the garage does not have Building Regulations approval.

Then it will, quite likely, have insufficient insulation to qualify for them and leak heat like a sieve.

Making it compliant might also be a lot of trouble now.

Surrey_EA

suvp wrote: »

apologies... I used the wrong terminology...the garage does not have Building Regulations approval.

If the conversion was done more than 12 months ago then the local authority cannot take any enforcement action. However, you then are left with the problem of whether the conversion was done to an acceptable standard.

suvp wrote: »

As for the conservatory they have been asked for the planning permission and the Building Regulations approval and development rights have been removed from this property.

If they didn't bother doing things correctly for the garage conversion, is it likely they did for the conservatory?

davidmcn

suvp wrote: »

The owner has converted the garage on the inside to a tv room

What exactly do you mean by "converted"? Sticking a tv and a sofa in the garage doesn't need permission. Putting in new walls/doorways etc would need permission from building control. Changing the front (or possibly the side) of the property (e.g. changing the garage door to a window) may need planning permission.

suvp

davidmcn wrote: »

What exactly do you mean by "converted"? Sticking a tv and a sofa in the garage doesn't need permission. Putting in new walls/doorways etc would need permission from building control. Changing the front (or possibly the side) of the property (e.g. changing the garage door to a window) may need planning permission.

this is exactly what has been done....but how does this affect me.. will I have to rip out the work because it does not comply with building regulations?