Neighbour planning issue

Author
Discussion

RockyBalboa

Original Poster:

768 posts

160 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
I have a potential issue with a neighbour with regards to a small single storey extension to a property I am renovating to live in.

This is the existing floor plan - basically previous owners (many years ago) knocked through a front room and back room and made it into a long garage/boiler room and I'd like to turn it back into rooms with a matching (to other side of the house) bay window to the front - no issues with all that.

This is the basic floor plan (bay window will go at the bottom of the drawing where the garage doors are):



This is how it looks on the other end (out to the garden), near the existing boiler room.

The red is where I'd like to extend it out to to make it sit flush with the rest of the building. The roof totally needs replacing anyway and the floors need a damp proof membrane and to be raised - which further adds to the need for a higher-pitch roof.

The yellow is the neighbour's extension:



The neighbours complaint is that if I take the roof any higher than it is (which I need to as the head height is too low as it is), he will 'see all brick'.

This is the view from his garden/courtyard (his house is at an angle so his garden/courtyard looks directly at my property) - the green is the current view of the existing part of my building in question and the white building is the rest of my property.



The planner says she would not support the planning application if the roof pitch is significantly higher as distance between windowed elevations and opposing flank walls is already less than the minimum 12.5m and this would make it worse.

My main points are that:

1. The neighbours house is on a corner plot and his garden/courtyard faces my garden/rear of my property.

2. He built his extension (I don't know when) which made it closer to my property (thus reducing the distance between flank walls).

3. Due the nature / orientation of his property and size of garden, he doesn't see much except my property anyway!

4. If I can't increase the roof height/pitch, I cannot renovate as the floor heights need to be increased to accommodate the damp proof membrane, etc.

Thoughts/opinion please?

Edited by RockyBalboa on Wednesday 1st April 01:09


Edited by RockyBalboa on Wednesday 1st April 01:10

Mandat

3,879 posts

237 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
If the issue is that the maximum height of the roof should not be higher than existing, then why not simply install a flat roof by raising the rear wall?

RockyBalboa

Original Poster:

768 posts

160 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
From my perspective - the proposal was to have a pitched roof with velux windows for light.. can I achieve the same with a flat roof? Secondly, will it potentially have further issues with the elements (rain?).

From the neighbour's perspective - a flat roof would mean he would see a larger height wall across the length of the whole thing as opposed to some of a pitched roof (i.e. starting with seeing a lot and sloping down).


King Herald

23,501 posts

215 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
And why not put a 'deck' on that flat roof, with barbecue, and a beer umbrella, so you can stand there and thumb your nose at the idiot neighbour? biggrin

ILoveMondeo

9,614 posts

225 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
RockyBalboa said:
From my perspective - the proposal was to have a pitched roof with velux windows for light.. can I achieve the same with a flat roof? Secondly, will it potentially have further issues with the elements (rain?).
You can definitely put skylights in a flat root, flat ones, or a lantern skylight with opening windows if required. No idea it that'll appease the neighbour though.

In my experience flat roofs can last a very long time (decades, I've had 50 year old ones with no leaks) but don't be surprised if they spring a leak a lot sooner(My current 18 year old one is leaking). I've been told a couple of times when having flat roof repairs that replacing coverings should be treated as a 10-20 year "maintenance". Could just be roofer twaddle though.


Stu R

21,410 posts

214 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
King Herald said:
And why not put a 'deck' on that flat roof, with barbecue, and a beer umbrella, so you can stand there and thumb your nose at the idiot neighbour? biggrin
I like the way you think biggrin

foliedouce

3,067 posts

230 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Do you have your permitted development rights still intact?

If you do, they'd I'd go down that route. They are a legal right and your neighbours and the planning officer can't stop you. You can extend back 3m from the original house (I did read somewhere that they'd increased this to 6m until 2016 but you'd need to check that)

Problem solved

Where do you live? It looks very security conscious!

RockyBalboa

Original Poster:

768 posts

160 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Well this extension is part of the plan so I am not sure how permitted development works - if I have put in for planning permission (and it is not yet approved or refused), do my permitted development rights cease?

The place was previously used as some sort of mixed (residential/offices) many years ago and this conversion would bring it back to full residential use.

Hub

6,411 posts

197 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
foliedouce said:
Do you have your permitted development rights still intact?

If you do, they'd I'd go down that route. They are a legal right and your neighbours and the planning officer can't stop you. You can extend back 3m from the original house (I did read somewhere that they'd increased this to 6m until 2016 but you'd need to check that)

Problem solved
Yeah, most rear single storey extensions don't need planning permission, providing eaves are no higher than 3 metres and overall height no greater than 4 metres.

Is that existing lean-to bit original or an extension itself? If original or built before something like 1948 then you can extend beyond for 3 metres if terraced/semi detached or 4 metres if detached. If it is a post 1948 extension then it would count towards this 3/4 metre figure. There are indeed also temporary rights for double the length of these extensions, subject to to writing to the Council with dimensions, butthis is not a full planning application.


Edited by Hub on Wednesday 1st April 08:40

GP335i

466 posts

163 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Yep I'd be going with a contemporary flat roof, they really can look quite nice.

Oakey

27,523 posts

215 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
On another note, what is it you're trying to keep from escaping your garden?

Bluebarge

4,519 posts

177 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Ignore the neighbour - he is looking mostly at brick or the tatty fence he put up anyway. Flat roof with something like this should be unobtrusive
http://www.slimlinerooflanterns.co.uk/Roof-lantern...

TooLateForAName

4,725 posts

183 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Tell next door that you'll be painting your walls black to benefit from solar gain.

GP335i

466 posts

163 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Oakey said:
On another note, what is it you're trying to keep from escaping your garden?
That's assuming they escape the secret basement first...

jonttt

678 posts

170 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Dig down ?

RockyBalboa

Original Poster:

768 posts

160 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Cannot dig down as the entire length (front to back) needs to be raised as it is (it's too low as compared to the rest of the house and also needs a damp proof membrane).

andy43

9,548 posts

253 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Speak to the council - if the footprint of the house is as it was in 1948 and you don't live in a listed building/conservation area (doublecheck you still have PD rights) they can't stop you doing what you're suggesting as far as I know.

Gav147

976 posts

160 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
If you don't want a flat roof, could you (hard to see just how much room you have from the photos) change the direction of the pitch so as it fall's towards your neighbours property from the side wall of your property, so your gutter would run along the fence line. Looking at the highest point of the existing roof you shouldn't be taking the brickwork any higher, if anything it will be lower.

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Permitted development is your friend here.

No one has the "right to light".

Imagine it will royally ps off the neighbour so you have a choice talk it through with them OR if you don't fancy facing off do it via letters.