UNDERSTANDING CONSENT

No matter the scale of your renovation project, you should always aim to familiarise yourself with the local planning rules and any covenants you may encounter at the early stages.

Party Wall Act When extending a terraced house, it’s likely your scheme will include carrying out works to the dividing wall between you and your neighbour. You’ll need to notify them, and allow them 14 days to assent. However, the owner next door cannot stop you from going ahead. To protect both your interests a surveyor is appointed (typically paid for by you) to produce a record of the pre-existing structures and assess the new plans.

Planning permission Many extensions, including infilling the gap from your kitchen to the side boundary, can potentially be carried out under Permitted Development (PD) rights. You are allowed to extend up to 3m from the original rear of your property with singlestorey additions and to the side by 50% of the width of the building. You can also add up to 40m3 of additional volume to the roof, allowing you to create a decent bedroom.

Transforming your basement, however, is likely to require a full planning application, as you’ll be carrying out major structural changes. Other schemes requiring permission from your local authority are large extensions and mansard roof conversions.

In this issue, Helen and Tony Brown detail their steps to gaining approval from their council to update and extend their Victorian terraced home. Read their story on page 34.

Conservation Areas Check whether your home is located within a protected zone as PD rights would be restricted, meaning you’ll have to submit an application. You can find out the need-to-know on the subject at www.self-build.co.uk/permitted-development.