Planning on Condemned property ?

[Bluericky]

Hi all

I've recently purchased a property that's consists of a paddock and condemned cottage. It has planning for a large five bedroom property.

I'd like to renovate the condemned cottage and not build the house. Does this require planning or building regs to do so ?

It was last lived in three years ago by a council tenant and was understandably declared unfit for human habitation. It's water tight with all walls, doors and windows intact . It has electricity, sewage and telecoms too.

I can't find anything online to help me out !

Thank you in advance

 

[Doggit]

I'll admit to speculating, but I can't see any problems. There's no reason that you can't renovate it, and you'd only need building regs or planning permission if you were to alter anything. Why was it condemned.

 

[Bluericky]

Thanks for the quick reply. I believe it was condemned due to high levels of damp, no doubt due to the rotten window frames, you can put your fingers through the holes !
Also sewage was backed up entire way from septic Rank to loo.

 

[Doggit]

So the septic tank need emptying, and new windows installed. Any other issues, or structural changes you want to make.

 

[Bluericky]

It needs a new roof ideally, fist floor is a bit cramped so may raise the height by a few courses if it's practical and STP.

I'm interested to know at what point a condemned property requires planning / building regs to renovate. Presumably there must be a defining factor that councils use to decide ?

 

[Doggit]

I can't say with certainty, but a condemned building just means it is no longer fit for human habitation. Bringing it back up to habitable standard is all that it required. But if you want to raise the roof, then it should come under permitted develoment, so not require planning permission, that's assuming that you're keeping it the same as before. But you will need building regs to rebuild the new roof. Could you raise the ceiling by setting the ceiling joists a foor higher, and then having a vaulted/angled ceiling at the edges.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Rebuilding pays vat

New build doesn't ?

That's 20% saved
Nothing to stop you building the new like the old?

 

[cjard]

+1, knock it down and start again. Nothing makes you wish you'd built anew like renovating the old..

 

[Bluericky]

Thank you, knocking it down is an option but it's made mainly of concrete and surrounded by more concrete !

I've spoken with the local planning department this morning and they are making out that I would require planning to do anything at all as it's condemned. Along with an engineers report as to its structural integrityWhich seems ridiculous.

 

[^woody^]

I'm not sure how a condemned property has any relevance to planning law

Who has condemned it and under what authority?

 

[Bluericky]

I've no idea what authority, presumably the council itself. It's simply information that the vendor passed on. The council don't appear to keep a record but they did say it's not currently liable for council tax in its current form, whatever that may be

 

[Nige F]

t it's made mainly of concrete and surrounded by more concrete !
.

Is it a "concrete cancer" house and condemned because of that ?

 

[charliegolf]

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!