Chances of planning permission on an un purchase house

[ThyJones]

Hi Guys

Quick few queries. We are currently looking to move house and are looking for a few additions and niceties.

From the vast amount of houses around here, it's looking like to get what we want, we are going to have to build our own additions.

These queries relate to 2 properties I have seen, but the questions below are the same for both

1) I would like to build a gym room at the bottom of the garden, a heated/electric/water etc room which will predominately be used as a gym, but perhaps a chillout area. I'm sure I would need planning permission for this, but how can I tell this, or check if this is possible on a property I don't even own?

2) I would like to build a large wall, and gate on the front drive, no other surrounding properties have this, so it may look a bit odd, but if it doesn't look odd and I can make it work, again what are the chances of getting permission? It would be say 6ft high so I know I would need permission..

3) Final query, the side of the house has a big garden(not front nor back) just side, which has a small 1 meter ish fence. Are you allowed to build on this, i know it would depend on planning permission again but is there a definite *no* in certain circumstances that I can look for before thinking of doing this?

Thanks for the help

 

[ThyJones]

Anyone got any ideas please, or is this the wrong place to ask?

Thanks

 

[SimonH2]

Look up permitted development rules.

You can build on the side subject to restrictions.
You can build something in the back garden subject to restrictions.
You can build a wall at the front subject to restrictions - one of them being max 1m high.

But check also that the property you are buying still has permitted development rights. They can be removed from an area, or may be removed as a condition of the original planning approval.

 

[OwainDIYer]

1. You can request Outline Planning Permission even if you don't own the property, but if any nearby houses have a similar room, that shows the planners have permitted such in the past. Planning policy can change though, but it would be optimistic.

2. Apart from planning permission, you might need Highways consent as a high fence can affect sightlines for traffic. That's impossible to generalise about, and assumes there aren't any planning conditions or covenants about fencing etc from when the house was originally built.

3. You can build side extensions, again if anyone else in the neighbourhood has done this already this would be optimistic. Some authorities like side extensions to be set back from the building line to prevent 'terracing' or the appearance of the houses starting to join together.

Many authorities have past planning applications online now so you can search and see what other houses on the street have done.