What You Need to Know Before Extending Your Home

Amenity The pleasantness of an area; includes the appearance of buildings and landscape, levels of noise, disturbance, otdour, privacy and daylight. Building line The original walls of a house facing a public road or other area. Can be used in the context of one or a collection of houses. Curtilage The area of land around a house. Includes front, rear and side gardens, driveways, hard surfaces and may be enclosed by wall, fence or hedge. Design statement A statement submitted with a planning application explaining the context and ideas that are incorporated into the design of an extension.

Dormer A window which is set vertically on a sloping roof to provide light to the attic space. Th e dormer has its own roof which is generally flat or pitched. Eaves The overhang at the lower edge of the roof. Elevations Plans drawn to scale showing the external appearance of a building. Exempted Categories of development set out in the Planning and Development development Regulations 2001(as amended) that can be constructed without planning

permission. Facade Face of building, especially the main front elevation. Fascia A horizontal board covering the junction between the top of the wall and the projecting eaves. (Also known as ‘fascia board’) Floor plans Simple line drawings to scale showing room layout as seen from above. Hipped roof A roof that has sloping or ‘hipped’ ends to each side. Lintel The horizontal beam or stone bridging over a door or window opening. Opaque glass Non-transparent glass normally used in bathroom windows. Overhang To project, protrude or cross a shared boundary with the roof or gutters of a building. (Also can be termed ‘Oversail’) Parapet The top of a wall, usually used in the context of a flat roofed extension or building Party boundary The legal ownership boundary line between two adjoining properties. Renewable Energy that is generated from renewable sources such as wind or sunlight. energy Ridge line The horizontal line along the top of a pitched roof between two end gables. Roof light A window that provides light to an attic area and lies flush with and parallel to the slope of the roof. Roof pitch The degree of roof slant. Usually ranges from about 45° for steeper roofs to 30° or less for shallower roofs. Sustainability An all-embracing concept that encourages reduced use or reuse of resources such as land, buildings, energy and materials. In the context of extensions, it can refer to the inclusion of energy efficient measures.

However these extensions should be carried according to appropriate designing and planning.

I have put together a simple explanation of the local authority departments parameters and requirements for a home extension, starting with planning approval.

Planning

This division of the local authority looks at the overall aesthetics of your project in relation to the existing and adjacent properties, overall volume of the development and layout of the building. There is a duty of care on the part of the planner to ensure that neighboring properties are taken into account.

Whether it is an extension to your home or place of business or a proposal for a new housing development, retail park, hospital or skyscraper almost all proposals will require planning permission.

This and more besides comes under the heading of the Town and Country Planning Act.

Building Control - Full Plans

Building Regulations approval will be needed to ensure that buildings are constructed to an agreed standard, the regulations are complex, but are essential to promote accessibility, health and safety and energy efficiency in the home.

What common home improvements require approval?

Most house extensions will require approval. Other popular home improvements that require approval include:

Loft conversions
Dormer window or roof light installation
Structural alterations such as the removal of a load bearing wall or chimney breast
New electrical installations
Plastering to more than 25% of a wall
Work on, or new doors or windows in, a load bearing wall
New bathrooms
Staircase re-positioning
Window and door replacement by non BSI, CERTASS or FENSA approved installers
New chimney or flue installations and flue works
Underpinning of foundations
Re-roofing to more than 25% of the roof
Septic tank installations
Cavity wall insulation