house with 2/3 completed extensions on planning application but no sign off!

wibblywobbly_25

Hi all,
Just looking for a bit of advice on a property I am purchasing. The vendors applied for 3 extensions on 1 planning application 5 years ago, a front and rear porch and a side extension. The porches were done during Covid but the side one hasn’t been started yet so they didn’t get sign off at the time until they’d completed the last extension so we have requested them to get the 2 signed off before we purchase. I’m assuming this can be done as we didn’t want to go down the indemnity route! Have others done this before? Is it easy enough to obtain?

Thanks in advance! 

user1977

Do you mean building regulations sign-off rather than planning?

Section62

wibblywobbly_25 said:

Hi all,
Just looking for a bit of advice on a property I am purchasing. The vendors applied for 3 extensions on 1 planning application 5 years ago, a front and rear porch and a side extension. The porches were done during Covid but the side one hasn’t been started yet so they didn’t get sign off at the time until they’d completed the last extension so we have requested them to get the 2 signed off before we purchase. I’m assuming this can be done as we didn’t want to go down the indemnity route! Have others done this before? Is it easy enough to obtain?
 

Did they use a private building control company, or the local council?  If private, is the company still in business?

When was the last contact with building control?

wibblywobbly_25

user1977 said:

Do you mean building regulations sign-off rather than planning?

Yes that’s right. 

wibblywobbly_25

Section62 said:

wibblywobbly_25 said:

Hi all,
Just looking for a bit of advice on a property I am purchasing. The vendors applied for 3 extensions on 1 planning application 5 years ago, a front and rear porch and a side extension. The porches were done during Covid but the side one hasn’t been started yet so they didn’t get sign off at the time until they’d completed the last extension so we have requested them to get the 2 signed off before we purchase. I’m assuming this can be done as we didn’t want to go down the indemnity route! Have others done this before? Is it easy enough to obtain?
 

Did they use a private building control company, or the local council?  If private, is the company still in business?

When was the last contact with building control?

It was local council and I’m guessing in 2019 when they were built but I’m not 100% to be honest. 

DevilDamo

They would not be able to get sign off on something that has not been completed, especially if it was part of the original application. Enquiries could be made with Building Control to see if that last element can be removed from the description. If that is possible, the porches would still require their final documentation in order to have them signed off, e.g. electrical certificates. 

Section62

DevilDamo said:

They would not be able to get sign off on something that has not been completed, especially if it was part of the original application. Enquiries could be made with Building Control to see if that last element can be removed from the description. If that is possible, the porches would still require their final documentation in order to have them signed off, e.g. electrical certificates. 

If the three extensions are separate and no work has been done on the side extension then it should be possible to get the other two signed off as completed... assuming the council still has the file open and hasn't closed it already.

OP, would you want the side extension to be built now, or are you happy with the house as it is?  Planning consents usually have a time limit for work to be started - as work has been started (presumably within the time limit) you may be able to use the original consent to go ahead with the side extension now.  Although planning consent and building regulations are separate, if the owner tells building control the project is completed (with no intention to do the side extension) then if planning get funny about you using the original planning consent to do the side extension then the closure of the building control case might be used as evidence by planning that the project you are now doing is a new one, not a continuation of the original work.

You may need to think carefully about the best approach to take, particularly if planning consent was difficult to obtain for the side extension and/or if the local planning policy has changed since then.

wibblywobbly_25

Section62 

If the three extensions are separate and no work has been done on the side extension then it should be possible to get the other two signed off as completed... assuming the council still has the file open and hasn't closed it already.

OP, would you want the side extension to be built now, or are you happy with the house as it is?  Planning consents usually have a time limit for work to be started - as work has been started (presumably within the time limit) you may be able to use the original consent to go ahead with the side extension now.  Although planning consent and building regulations are separate, if the owner tells building control the project is completed (with no intention to do the side extension) then if planning get funny about you using the original planning consent to do the side extension then the closure of the building control case might be used as evidence by planning that the project you are now doing is a new one, not a continuation of the original work.

You may need to think carefully about the best approach to take, particularly if planning consent was difficult to obtain for the side extension and/or if the local planning policy has changed since then.

Hi, thanks for commenting. Yes all three would be separate. We were told that as the drainage had been started for the third extension we would be able to continue it at a later date. So I’m guessing would still be an open case on that basis? 

We wouldn’t do the extension for a while if we wanted to do it but I don’t think the planning was a problem anyway as it’s a rural property with no neighbours. 

Herzlos

wibblywobbly_25 said:

Section62 said:

wibblywobbly_25 said:

Hi all,
Just looking for a bit of advice on a property I am purchasing. The vendors applied for 3 extensions on 1 planning application 5 years ago, a front and rear porch and a side extension. The porches were done during Covid but the side one hasn’t been started yet so they didn’t get sign off at the time until they’d completed the last extension so we have requested them to get the 2 signed off before we purchase. I’m assuming this can be done as we didn’t want to go down the indemnity route! Have others done this before? Is it easy enough to obtain?
 

Did they use a private building control company, or the local council?  If private, is the company still in business?

When was the last contact with building control?

It was local council and I’m guessing in 2019 when they were built but I’m not 100% to be honest. 

Don't the applications expire after 5 years and need to be re-started? If so you may find there's essentially no permission at all.

RHemmings

How much do you want the house? You could simply say to the sellers that it's their job to sort this with Building Control, and to tell you when this is done. The risk is that they then don't do it and/or decide to sell to someone else. 

wibblywobbly_25

Herzlos said:

Don't the applications expire after 5 years and need to be re-started? If so you may find there's essentially no permission at all.

Not when it’s already been started.