2.  Planning Permission and Permitted Development Rights

Having received planning permission for Phase 1 we put in for Phase 2 three days later. 

Originally when we first approached the planning authority they stipulated that we would not be allowed to build larger than the existing house. 

This after many conversations turned out to mean that we would be allowed to create the same ‘volume’ as the existing house.

The word ‘volume’ rather than ‘square footage’ was important for us because the bungalow actually has a considerable amount of empty unused space due to a very high ridge and steep roof.  This has been very much to our advantage because the architect has designed our house with flat roofs which provides a lot more living area within the cubic space.

We also made sure that our ‘permitted development rights’ (PDRs) would not be revoked (as they sometimes are).  This is the right everyone has to extend their house (within certain size limits).  Sometimes if you gain ‘planning permission’ they will take away these rights, however because there were no records of this existing bungalow ever having been extended they agreed to allow us to keep these rights for the property.

One limitation they have imposed is that we cannot apply for planning permission for an 'extension' until Phase 1 has been built.  How unaccommodating of them.

Delving deeper, we discovered that their meaning of the word ‘built’ was ‘habitable’ – i.e. the kitchen and bathroom were complete, but without a need for us to have moved in..

Whilst having to wait to apply for planning permission is an inconvenience, and potentially a risk (because there is always the possibility that it may not be granted), the fact is you don’t actually need planning permission if your extension is within certain criteria – e.g. size of extension no more than half of the existing, distance from road frontage nomore than 7meters, and the angle from the secondary roads if you happen to be on a corner like we are no more than 45'.  Staying well within the limits enables one to take up the PDRs without the need to put in an application.  One has the right to build it.  So looking at the meaasurements and evidence below we may be able to proceed with Phase 2 pretty much as one operation with Phase 1. 

We knew all this at the outset because our architect delved into all the possible difficulties before we bought the site.  So, with great care and skill he took all these criteria into consideration to meet the planning criteria for Phase 2 as he was designing Phase 1. 

So our letter of request to the planning authority to confirm that what we want to do falls within our permitted development rights went in on 9^th August just 5 days after obtaining planning consent on Phase 1.

The authority say that they will respond within 17 working days – so we are not far off that day.

We are of course optimistic, but at the same time we have to be realistic in that there is never any consistency with the particular authority that we are dealing with. And anyway, there have to be some difficulties along the way.  We certainly won't have a trouble free ride all the way, life doesn't work like that.

We are optimistic because our planning officer for Phase 1 was enthusiastic about our new house. She happened to visit the site to check out the plans of Phase 1 whilst we were at home.  We invited her in to see the boards that we had prepared for the parish council, and neighbours.  We showed her around the site and explained what we were planning to do and demonstrated that we were keen to blend the house with its environment.  She volunteered her own view that Phase 2 added to the architecture and made the house sit within the surroundings in an even more convincing way.  So we hope that she recalls this when she makes her assessment. Actually we haven't relied on 'hope' at all,  we have reminded her - don't let's miss these opportunities.

So not long now – let’s hope for an easy ride without the need to go for planning later on in the build cycle.  Watch this space.