Does this look legal?

[Peterd1234]

The house along the road to me is a mid terrace three bed house, and has suddenly built a dormer with an extension to the dormer on top of the third bedroom. They have used only timber(no steel) I'm getting in touch with my council (Newham) tomorrow with these pictures to see what they say. But thought I would run it passed this forum to see what you all think. I have included 3 pics.
Regards
Pete

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• Peterd1234
• 28 Jul 2013
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[indus]

The house along the road to me is a mid terrace three bed house, and has suddenly built a dormer with an extension to the dormer on top of the third bedroom. They have used only timber(no steel) I'm getting in touch with my council (Newham) tomorrow with these pictures to see what they say. But thought I would run it passed this forum to see what you all think. I have included 3 pics.
Regards
Pete

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• Peterd1234
• 28 Jul 2013
• 1

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• Peterd1234
• 28 Jul 2013
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• Peterd1234
• 28 Jul 2013
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If you mean whether it is 'legal' in terms of planning why don't you have a look on your local council's website? All planning applications will be available to view with the drawings etc.

Whether it meets building regs standards for safe construction I'll let one of the experts on the forum comment.

 

[Peterd1234]

The house along the road to me is a mid terrace three bed house, and has suddenly built a dormer with an extension to the dormer on top of the third bedroom. They have used only timber(no steel) I'm getting in touch with my council (Newham) tomorrow with these pictures to see what they say. But thought I would run it passed this forum to see what you all think. I have included 3 pics.
Regards
Pete

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• Peterd1234
• 28 Jul 2013
• 1

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• Peterd1234
• 28 Jul 2013
• 1

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• Peterd1234
• 28 Jul 2013
• 1

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If you mean whether it is 'legal' in terms of planning why don't you have a look on your local council's website? All planning applications will be available to view with the drawings etc.

Whether it meets building regs standards for safe construction I'll let one of the experts on the forum comment.

There is no application on the council site.
Regards
Pete

 

[indus]

Ok.

So you have two potential issues ie does it meet planning regulations and does it meet building regs.

In terms of planning it could be done under permitted development rights (ie no planning application needs to be lodged) if the conversion does not add more than 40m3 of space. Can you guesstimate what sort of volume of space is being added?

In terms of building regs I'm not qualified to comment but perhaps one of our resident experts will (I'd also be interested to see what they say!)

Good luck

 

[tony1851]

@OP;
Haven't you got better things to do than complain to the Council? How does the dormer affect you personally?

 

[Peterd1234]

@OP;
Haven't you got better things to do than complain to the Council? How does the dormer affect you personally?

It's not the Dormer thats the problem, its the bit on the back of that. And once one gets away with it, it will spread.
Regards

 

[tony1851]

In the whole scheme of things, and considering the surrounding roof lines, is it really that bad?

So far as Building Regs is concerned, that's a private matter between the owner and their building control body (if they have one).

Many people just build these things regardless, but unless it's a specific safety hazard, the Building Control dept would probably not take action. The fact that there's no steel in it is neither here nor there.

 

[Peterd1234]

In the whole scheme of things, and considering the surrounding roof lines, is it really that bad?

So far as Building Regs is concerned, that's a private matter between the owner and their building control body (if they have one).

Many people just build these things regardless, but unless it's a specific safety hazard, the Building Control dept would probably not take action. The fact that there's no steel in it is neither here nor there.

It certantly does not look good and does not fit in with the roof lines at all.

 

[noseall]

It looks horrendous. Where do you live, Soweto?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

It looks horrendous. Where do you live, Soweto?

Yea and that dormer is only gonna make things worse!

 

[tony1851]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[indus]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But some beholders need to go to Specsavers

 

[tony1851]

What's more important? - how things look, or providing more living space?

I wouldn't go so far as to say that is one of the most attractive dormers I've seen, but there are far worse things in some neighbourhoods that people have to put up with.

Noisy neighbours, kids running wild, all-night parties and - worst of all - neighbours who report building work to the council.

 

[noseall]

What's more important? - how things look, or providing more living space?

Using this as a guiding 'ethos', it wouldn't be long before you could successfully change a reasonable community into a no-go slum.

If living space must take precedent over "how things look" then That Soweto chanty/slum look is only around the corner for many neighbourhoods.

I bet you are a nailed-on n.i.m.b.y. aincha Tony.

 

[tony1851]

What's more important? - how things look, or providing more living space?

Using this as a guiding 'ethos', it wouldn't be long before you could successfully change a reasonable community into a no-go slum.

No. This is the trap that the patronising planners of the post-War era fell into. They believed that nice buildings would make nice communities and, by extension, that ugly buildings would make slums. It's people that make slums, not unattractive buildings.

[/quote] If living space must take precedent over "how things look" then That Soweto chanty/slum look is only around the corner for many neighbourhoods.[/quote]


You can't compare London with Soweto. The guy who built the dormer in this thread would have spent far, far more than the cost of a few sheets of corrugated iron. OP won't get gypsies moving into his neighbourhood just because someone's built a dormer.