Planning on underhill road

[Luker2100]

Hi Guys,

About to move in to a house on Underhill Road and have seen that it has had two planning applications thrown out for a loft extension in the past. Does anyone have any experience with planning for loft conversions in that local area - it's not in a conservation area I don't know about or something is it?!

[alice]

Y

[Penguin68]

Most loft extensions would be done under permitted development - can't see why planning permission per se would be needed (but permitted development still has planning limits - like not raising the roof lines and other building regs restrictions).

Maybe the plans didn't meet local building regulations - I know to get permitted development I had to submit plans for approval - but they weren't planning applications per se and didn't have to go forward to the planning committee, just meet local planning rules.

It is possible that if there had already been a post-war extension (e.g. kitchen extension) then, under old regulations now I think overtaken, the loft extension might have gone over size - but that again could have been addressed as a proper planning application - it just wouldn't have qualified under permitted development regulations.

[Loz]

Permitted development, I understand, is only applicable to houses. If is has been subdivided into flats, then they will need planning permission.

[Penguin68]

Oh, right, hadn't thought of that - yes, that would need planning permission I think.

[DaveR]

I think there was recently a change in approach re loft conversions that extended to the rear. For a while Southwark were insisting that raising the roof level at the rear meant planning permission was required, and then refusing applications. I think that approach was challenged and it was confirmed that no permission was required. That may be the explanation, but it would be sensible to get more info if you are buying on the basis that you will be able to extend.

[ed_pete]

If you search the Southwark Planning register and find the application, does it not include a document explaining the reason it was denied ?

[JDR]

We live in a house on Underhill, applied for planning, officer ace round. Adviced we would b tuned down but volumes would b allowed under permitted development. Worth phoning them. The guy had just started working in Souhwark and said they were much stricter here

[dirty tree]

Read the planning policy document on southwark's website re loft extensions.

If what you intend to build conforms to policy it will get passed.

Every house is different due to its orientation and surrounding environment and architecture.

There will be reasons for the previous application being refused on a link within the application on Southwark's website.