How to measure angle of house to side road

[kingandy2nd]

Hello all,

This might sound like a stupid question, but how can I accurately measure the angle of my house to the highway?

We have a corner plot and we put a conservatory on the side of the house 2 years ago that is adjacent to the side road. To be honest I'd not considered planning at all when we did it (slap on wrists I know), but now we're looking at doing a proper extension on the other side of the house and reading the planning portal I see that I've made a boo boo.

However, the house isn't square to the side road and in reading page 13 here:
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/100806_PDforhouseholders_TechnicalGuidance.pdf

It specifically says "the angle between the elevation of the house and the highway. If that angle is more than 45 degrees, then the elevation will not be fronting a highway".

If my understanding is correct(?), this might be my get out of jail card, but how do I accurately measure the angle of the house to the road?

Thanks!

 

[tony1851]

Simplest way might be to get a 1:500 site plan for your property off the internet. These maps often don't show accurate boundaries between properties, but I've found they are reasonably accurate in showing alignment between houses and adjoining roads.

Once you have the plan, rummage through your old school satchel at the back of the wardrobe and pull out your old protractor, and you're away.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Or if you find the 'interactive map' on your local authority's website that should provide you with a site plan you can do a screen grab of it, or just stick the protractor on the screen.

Of course in tony's day they were called station pointer's rather protractors.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Thanks guys.

I have a 1:200 plan of the property...but can't find a protractor for the life of me!! Will have to go to WH Smiths tomorrow.

Supposing it is greater than a 45 degree angle, do you think a lawful development cert is worthwhile obtaining?

My current designer has left the conservatory off the before drawings for my new extension and included the conservatory on the after plans to make the conservatory part of the planning application for the extension, but that doesn't sit well with me considering that it's already built.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Measure first, then see if its an issue before you get all het up working out a plan of action.

What your designer is doing is neither ethical or professional IMO, if it did need planning and the planners happened to visit and noticed it, then the application would be invalid and you will be asked to withdraw it or amend it. The existing drawings as submitted will be a work of fiction. The application for Lawful Development (which is what should be applied for the conservatory (if planning turns out was required) is different to a Domestic Planning Application in that you have to justify why a development should have been allowed.

Why the hell hasn't your 'designer' measured the angle and checked all this out? Its a two minute job!

 

[tony1851]

Of course in tony's day they were called station pointer's rather protractors.

FWIW, I'd pit my trusty old adjustable set-square against your new fancy CAD stuff any day.

 

[drpepe]

google maps/earth?

 

[kingandy2nd]

Measure first, then see if its an issue before you get all het up working out a plan of action.

What your designer is doing is neither ethical or professional IMO, if it did need planning and the planners happened to visit and noticed it, then the application would be invalid and you will be asked to withdraw it or amend it. The existing drawings as submitted will be a work of fiction. The application for Lawful Development (which is what should be applied for the conservatory (if planning turns out was required) is different to a Domestic Planning Application in that you have to justify why a development should have been allowed.

Why the hell hasn't your 'designer' measured the angle and checked all this out? Its a two minute job!

Well protractor purchased, and it's pretty close! By my measurement its 47 degrees. Without telling my better half, she measured 47 degrees too...so it depends on the quality/accuracy of the plan. (Which is O/S so hopefully pretty accurate).

So what should I do for next steps?

Freddy, the things you've mentioned is exactly why I don't like my designers suggested course of action. He just told me I should have got planning for the conservatory at the time, it's only my research that has identified the 45 degree rule.

I've had a few issues - he put a soakaway at the front of the property, despite there not being sufficient space for one, and the fact that changing the exterior of the house completely is just added as a note to the drawings.

Anyone want some moonlighting work checking the rest of his work?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If you are confident that no breach of planning has occurred then just have your tool of a designer stick it on the existing drawings. It's difficult to know if it's something that could be difficult (physically) to check or not in reality without seeing it. Got a google earth screengrab? Is the road dead straight or curved?

I thought these were planning drawings, why has he put the location of a soakaway on the plans, you might add it if it was requested by planning but wouldn't normally add it from the off. If you don't think there's the space for a soakaway then have you told him?

As for whether different materials on an elevation should be drawn as well as noted is difficult to answer. Just post the drawings on here if you want comments on them.

 

[cjard]

If it's 47 degrees and your concern is with a technicality like this, don't bother with the plan.. Measure the actual house

You will need a long length of wood and a tape
Cut the wood into at least 3 pieces such that one of them is 3 feet long, one is 4 feet and one is 5 feet
Nail the corners so you have a triangle (the outside edges of each piece of wood form the triangle so overlap the corners such that the outside corners coincide). This is guaranteed to be a large set square

Place the 3 foot side against the house. Have an assistant hold the tape in the 90 degree corner. Walk to the road and have your assistant direct you left and right such that the tape aligns straight down the edge of the set square. Measure. Move the set square a certain distance (such as 2 m) down the wall and repeat the process. Repeat until you've done the entire wall, then Google for a "triangle calculator" (saves you getting your sohcahtoa maths book out)

For the angle between house and rod:
Take the longest(corner) measure and subtract the next longest. The result is your Opposite length. Take the certain distance your assistant moved down the wall. This is your Adjacent length. Enter the angle where the 2sides meet as 90, and calculate. The angle of the house is the one at the other end of the Adjacent length. Repeat for a few more of the measures to make sure

Note, instead of a triangle call you can use the calculator built into Google. Search for exactly this (copy paste it into Google)

atan((3500-1500)/2000) in degrees

Replace the 3500 with your long measure, the 1500 with the shorter measure and the 2000 with the distance your assistant moved down the wall

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Jeez cjard that's a bit overkill, I'd have just done a bit of measuring!

But seriously the ease of checking it accurately or not depends on what's between the house and the kerb, if there's a ton of landscaping, fence or heavy shrubbery it's not so easy without getting a more clever. Or he could just employ a cheap surveyor for £100 who will have the right equipment.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Thanks guys.

Right, here's a Google earth (well Apple maps as Google Earth is cloudy):

View media item 93027
Also a picture from the council planning website :

View media item 49439
In respect of the soakaway, the down pipe was marked as going to a soakaway on the plans and i asked him to change it, which he's done.

I've attached a copy of the plan in my New House album but won't post it up directly here just in case the designer uses the forum.
//www.diynot.com/network/kingandy2nd/albums/13278/93028

Thanks cjard, but there's a fence that runs the length of the house so not easy to do that.

Given the marginal nature of the angle, it sounds like it would be worthwhile getting a surveyor to verify the measurement.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

With a disto it'd be pretty simple if there were some clear lines of sight between the kerb and wall, otherwise I'd be saying get a surveyor. Or just rely on your google earth fella, 2 degrees will be surprising different.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Gah! Damn double post.

 

[Nakajo]

It' time to charge your tablet.