18/9/2009 Redundant building alternative use

One of our clients recently approached us to see if we could obtain planning permission to utilise the redundant double garage at the bottom of his garden to form a single occupancy apartment with:

• kitchen/diner at ground floor level
• generous ground floor living area
• spacious open-plan double bedroom at mezzanine level and
• en suite bathroom.

This proposal involved carefully dismantling the existing garage building (a large stone-built double-height garage/store to the rear of our client´s premises) and to rebuild it.

This was a difficult project to bring to fruition, primarily due to the extensive negotiations required with the local authority prior to and during a formal planning application and the fact that the land on which the premises was located, was bounded by three other properties. It was determined that it would be necessary to dismantle the existing building due to its extremely dilapidated state, so that it could be rebuilt to conform to current Building Regulations for its proposed new use.

It was envisaged at the outset that the construction style and materials to be used to rebuild the property would precisely match those of the existing building, which, as you will see from the adjacent photographs, are generally stone with a slate roof.

The replacement of the existing garage building provided the opportunity to remove the badly dilapidated building that had been neglected over recent years and create a new useable building utilising natural materials and of a scale and detailing to match that of the existing. It was proposed that this alternative use of the building should avoid it being left vacant and prone to vandalism and/or dereliction.

 Additional car parking was provided adjacent to the premises for its specific use, so as to supplement that of the existing main premises.

 This development supported the Government's strategic guidance (Planning Policy Guidance note 3: Housing) and also the Local Authority Unitary Development Plan, by meeting housing demand and ensuring that development takes place, as far as possible, where it can contribute to the regeneration of urban areas.

Do you have a redundant building that you could put to an alternative use?

Permitted Development Overview

‘Permitted development´ is development for householders that can be undertaken without the need for a planning application being submitted to the local planning authority.

The Government wants to give as much freedom as possible for people to extend their homes, such as building extensions and loft conversions, particularly given current pressures in the housing market.

 A public consultation in 2007 looked at ways of reducing bureaucracy for householders seeking to improve their homes while protecting the interests of neighbours, the wider community and the environment.

 While the overall aim was to relax the planning regime, the review proposals also introduced a need for planning applications for householder developments with potential adverse impacts, which were previously allowed.

Permitted Development Rights

You can make certain types of minor changes without needing to apply for planning permission. These are called "permitted development rights" and are best described (for domestic extensions or residential alterations) by visiting the Planning Portal Interactive House at www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/hhg/houseguide.html; essentially, they derive from a general planning permission granted not by the local authority but by Parliament. Contact A C Liani (Yorkshire) Ltd for further information.