Planning Permission for Extension

Hi,

We have an old rural cotage on which we applied for planning permission to erect a two bed and bathroom plus utility room extension out the back as well as a sunroom to the front.

This application was rejected on the grounds that the front extension was not in keeping with the existing cottage's vernacular style.

The council as an alternative suggested that we carry out repair and reconstruction work to an existing outbuilding which abbuts the eastern gable of the existing cottage and incorporate that into the plan with the proposed extension to the rear of the existing cottage. At the same time we were told to drop the plan for the proposed front extension sun room.

We retained an architecht to draw up plans according to the councils proposal. The new plan was accepted by the council and planning permission was granted.

Our problem now is that the cost of the new design is just way above our budget. We have tried six builders who have all said it is complicated and slow work which will cost.

Right now we are quite disillusioned and want to proceed with a small extension to the rear totalling less than 400 sq feet and forgetting about the front sunroom of the first planning application (which was refused) and the complicated design for the second planning application which was granted.

QUESTION : Having gone through all of that with the council is it safe to go ahed with our proposed small rear extension.
Such a development is normally exempt from planning permission.

I know that our proposal will be 100% to the rear of the existing cottage, cannot be seen from the front of the cottage, cannot impinge on any neighbour as it has no visible neighbours (nearest neighbour is 1 km away and is not visible from our cottage). It will also be constructed to the standards of current building requlations.

Thanks

Hi Rujib
I am no expert but am currently looking to buy an old cottage so have a bit of interest in the area. As far as I can see the actual extension you wish to build, you have no permission for. Some things occur to me:

1) The council make you pull it down. They can do this but I don't think they do it very often and would probably depend on your county council.
2) If you need to sell your house, there will be problems if it doesn't comply with planning. The buyer would have to be prepared to take on the risk.

Would you consider re-applying for what you would like to build without the sunroom? I would guess that that would have been the most out-of-character part of your original application. If you are lucky to live in a part of the world with an approachable planning dept, it would be worth a try to schedule a meeting, put your cards on the table; show them the costs of the two proposed extensions, tell them you will scrap the sunroom. Might be worth a shot.

Hope it all works out for you.
Good luck.

Such a development is normally exempt from planning permission.

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This is the crux of your situation. It's either exempt or it isn't and the Council should be able to tell you quite quickly whether it is or not.

If it is exempt, you're in the clear. If not, you're as well to find out now rather than down the road when they may instruct you to pull it down.

Don't give up on the front part yet either. You should consider discussing you proposals with the Council and perhaps you could come to a mutually acceptable compromise.