Altering roof pitch angle for loft space
Altering roof pitch angle for loft space
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Discussion

r44flyer

Original Poster:

515 posts

244 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
Hello all...

I'm spit-balling a bit for roof options for a loft conversion. We cannot do a hip-to-gable conversion as it won't get planning, nor can we do it under permitted development as it would be outside of the original footprint of the external walls.

In order to gain even a little more head height under the sloping section, in what will be a shower room (righthand loft window), what's the score with extending the ridge a little and increasing the pitch of the hipped roof by perhaps a few degrees? Other than being careful not to make it look stupid, will planning likely have a problem with this? Is there such a thing as an accepted range of roof angles?

Approved plans say nothing of specific angles, only that we must maintain a hipped roof. The roof is being completely renewed either way. Standard plain concrete tiles.

Interested in any well informed thoughts, thank you.


mikebradford

3,129 posts

173 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
Why don't you propose a hip to gable flush with the original gable, this would usually be permitted development. Then have your hip roof lean against it.


blueg33

45,907 posts

252 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
Planning are usually pretty sensitive to roof pitch, especially where it raises the visible ridge line or the difference is visible when compared with neighbours.

Do it without planning and you may get enforcement, and will have issues when you come to sell. Buyers lawyers are scrutinising planning and changes much more closely than they ever did.

r44flyer

Original Poster:

515 posts

244 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
Our architect proposed the below. Larger dormer, basically as Mike scribbled above. Done with permitted development.



The problem is, the window with the '8' on it, is infill extension, being done at the same time, and our architect suggested 'merging' the larger, PD dormer (as standalone PD without the infill extension) with the approved plans in the first image, so we get larger dormer and infill extension, and hipped roof leaning on the dormer.

Builder has raised concerns (not started yet), and now I think I've been lead up the garden path with this 'merging' idea and we're up the proverbial creek having wasted time and money on drawings etc.

Any further help from you in particular, Nick, would be most welcome.

wolfracesonic

9,098 posts

155 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
Would a gablet/Dutch roof help you out?



There is a dormer near me like the one in the last pic that cuts across the hip, looks a bit odd tbh.

r44flyer

Original Poster:

515 posts

244 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
wolfracesonic said:
Would a gablet/Dutch roof help you out?



There is a dormer near me like the one in the last pic that cuts across the hip, looks a bit odd tbh.
That doesn't keep the fully hipped roof, and is closer to the larger dormer drawing we have. I think we have a planning problem, rather than a technical problem, as I may have been sold some BS. frown

RedWhiteMonkey

8,994 posts

210 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
r44flyer said:
Dependent on location and visibility it possibly isn't an issue but that will look ugly as sin if built.

r44flyer

Original Poster:

515 posts

244 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
For clarity, this is what we have now...



This is what planning granted...



This is what architect says we can do by merging PD and granted planning...


The Three D Mucketeer

7,352 posts

255 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
I think if you deviate from the Planning Approved drawings you are likely to create problems for yourself ... I put a brick pillar on the outside of a wall rather than inside and had to resubmit for non conformance to the plans.

allegro

1,329 posts

232 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
might be a bit out of the box but do you have the room to lower the bedroom ceilings and gain your extra head height that way?

r44flyer

Original Poster:

515 posts

244 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
No. And It's more about the lack of stand up space in the loft shower room due to roof slope, and loss of storage space, than actual head height generally in the loft.

Antony Moxey

10,612 posts

247 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
Where you have the dormer on the rear, can't you put an identically sized one on the front as well?

Magooagain

13,163 posts

198 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
I’m presuming moving the shower room over to the left is not viable?

r44flyer

Original Poster:

515 posts

244 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
No front dormers allowed.

Shower room is above the current main bathroom so all the drainage etc is all there, and we need the space on the left as the bedroom.

HughG

3,742 posts

269 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
Could you swap the bedroom and shower room round, so you have the headroom in the shower and reduced headroom in the bedroom with lower level drawers/wardrobes maybe?

Edited by HughG on Thursday 12th March 15:40

Antony Moxey

10,612 posts

247 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
Is it possible to raise the entire roof by a couple of inches?

RedWhiteMonkey

8,994 posts

210 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
Antony Moxey said:
Is it possible to raise the entire roof by a couple of inches?
Its a semi-detached, that would be stupidly expensive and look awful.

Magooagain

13,163 posts

198 months

Thursday 12th March
quotequote all
r44flyer said:
No front dormers allowed.

Shower room is above the current main bathroom so all the drainage etc is all there, and we need the space on the left as the bedroom.
From what I can make out on the position of the dormer’s front wall you should have a void to run all pipes etc to and from the bathroom below so giving you the chance to swap bedroom and shower room around giving the required head height for the shower. Certainly worth investigating and a cheaper conclusion I imagine.

r44flyer

Original Poster:

515 posts

244 months

Thursday 23rd April
quotequote all
Still not got this sorted, unfortunately.

However, we now have an email from a council planner that says if we build the hip-to-gable first, using PD rights, then build the first floor infill extension afterwards, maintaining the, albeit smaller, hipped roof to the side, that would be acceptable.

Does the email itself hold any weight on its own?

Should I get a LDC for the loft conversion and then separate planning for the infill?

croyde

26,109 posts

258 months

Thursday 23rd April
quotequote all
We had to do this with our terraced house in London back in 2002.

No headroom otherwise.

At first the council refused but then we pointed out that we were halfway down a hill so raising the ridge wouldn't really be noticeable, they gave permission.

Probably no help in your case but reading this took me back smile

Good luck with it.