Demolish and replace
Initially, plans were submitted to convert the barn on this site, but the structure was too unstable so an application was put in to demolish and build anew. “Because of the site’s location within the greenbelt, our work to gain planning permission from the first project to the second was very complex,” says Melanie Clear from Clear Architects. “By trading volume, using natural materials, and working with the topography of the land, we were able to successfully gain permission. We used the locality, form and aesthetics of the original barn while interpreting the materials with a modern twist alongside introducing sustainable features.” inadvertently turned this mobile building into a fixed and permanent home. This was not visible from the outside, and the owner had no idea what they had achieved by building a chimney breast. In the event permission was granted for its replacement with a house.
Erase and replace
The classic way of finding a self-build plot is to buy an existing property and replace it with a larger one. This is why you sometimes see very small, shabby bungalows in terrible condition being sold for large amounts: because they are bought as building plots, sometimes by overoptimistic buyers who haven’t checked out the planning situation. Replacing a small house in the greenbelt with anything substantially bigger is likely to be virtually impossible. On the other hand, reading the small print can pay massive dividends. I once came across a site where permission was granted for a replacement dwelling in the open countryside, but on a slightly different location on the plot than the existing one. Luckily for the self-builder who bought it, the council had neglected to impose a requirement to demolish the existing house, so the buyer ended up with two properties, not one.
It always pays to think laterally, use one’s imagination and carefully examine the planning permission itself for any errors or loopholes. Permitted Development, under which things which can be built without planning permission on an existing garden, is often a goldmine of opportunities. Very often, a council will remove the right to Permitted Development on a new building plot, preventing the building of garages and outbuildings, for example. But within existing gardens those rights usually still apply until a new dwelling is started, so in the case of a replacement dwelling, it’s possible to take advantage of them before implementing the new permission.
The key thing to keep in mind is that planning rules are both flexible and everchanging. Above all, you shouldn’t dismiss the possibility of building on a site – just about any site – until you have fully explored every way that you could possibly make progress, including taking advantage of any new policies or regulations that might be in the pipeline.
BEFORE