Loft conversion with no planning permission

laptop80

I've had an offer accepted on a property with a loft conversion the previous owners have done as a bedroom for which I've found there was no planning permission applied for. We think from what the vendor has said it may have been done before 1985 (will need to confirm for sure).

My plan was to move the stairs (the ones up to it now are in the kitchen and nowhere near compliant) and get the whole thing signed off as compliant with a regularisation certificate, but Planning Control tell me only work done after 1985 can be regularised.

Does this mean that, if pre-1985, the loft room can be classed as a bedroom, or that it can never be classed as a bedroom, no matter what I do?

I'll be moving the stairs to somewhere more sensible regardless - if Planning Control can't say anything about the conversion itself, would the stairs be signed off independently to the space they lead up to (i.e. the stairs are OK, but we can't say about the loft conversion itself)?

Thanks

Doozergirl

There is no such thing as 'Planning Control'. It's either the Planning Department or Building Control.

Planning is one issue but you seem to be talking about Building Control.

If you make changes, your changes will need to conform to current regulations. I can't see how they'd be that keen to sign off the new stairs if the whole thing was structurally unsound. I suspect that the BCO may ask for certain things to be upgraded if they weren't great. Building Regulations are minimum standards and the work would benefit you and keep you safe.

But yes, the room can be sold as anything it is capable of being. The certificate is not what makes it safe, nor is it the only way to be a room. If it is safe, it is a room.

Planning permission is something else, related to the Planning Department. Most lofts fall under permitted development and don't need any paperwork.

laptop80

Thanks, yes I mean Building Control - all over the place today.

lastbigspender

I was in a similar situation, if a Regularisation Cert is applied for the BC Officer will go out and inspect the works and suggest improvements to make to bring it to the BC standard back to when it can be proven that the works took place - that's Regularisation.


If you change the position of the stairs BC may enforce current BC regulations and these will apply to the overall enhancements such as joist strengthen, thermal envelopes gradient of stairs, space and height on landing so bear that in mind.