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Q&As
Local Authority Planning Permission
We have put in three planning applications for a single storey side and rear extension to our local planning office. The first two have been refused and we are currently waiting on the decision for the third one.
We own a semi-detached property and the side extension will in effect make the width of the back of our property the same as that of the front.
A lot of the refusal has to do with our neighbour on the semi-detached side, who is concerned about loss of light.
We have made several compromises with regards to the shape and height of the build. Please advise if there are any other options or legal avenues available to us, if this application is again refused?
Also do local authorities use their own local planning laws as well as those in the national guidelines?
Thank you.
One Answer
Planning law requires councils to base decisions on the policies of their Local Plan, unless so-called ‘material considerations’ dictate otherwise. Government’s national guidelines (in the National Planning Policy Framework) are a material consideration and must be viewed alongside the local policies.
If your third application is refused, it might be time to consider an appeal. You would be well-advised to take professional advice from a Planning Consultant if you are contemplating this route.
You haven’t mentioned permitted development, and as side and rear single storey extensions are often permitted development, the way forward should include careful consideration of what you could do without planning permission, alongside the merits of the schemes that apparently do need permission.
– Mike Dade, Build It expert