Annex or Extension Planning Permission Piece Meal?

[onabudget]

Hi I have an end terrace and have some space at the side, maybe enough for a new small end terrace starter house.

The idea would be to build a one bed extension with it's own bathroom and kitchen etc so that an elderly relative could live in it rather than going into sheltered housing (as I would only be best door).

I've never applied for planning before and a friend has advised me it would be better to apply for this as an extension to the house rather than as a self contained annex (to secure the outline footprint - in terms of planning permission) and then reapply to change it to a self contained house.

His thought was it would be easier to secure outline permission as a non-self contained extension and then at least I could always partition the house internally to create there own space. They thought the risk was if I applied for a self contained house and it was turned down, then if I later applied for an extensin they would turn it down on the basis of the first rejection.

I would welcome your views/thoughts?

 

[jeds]

This is a common situation. If an extension looks like it could potentially make a future self contained unit the planning authority will take it into consideration. They might even condition the approval to specifically exclude a future change of use. If that happens it will becomes more difficult to get the change later. If the plot is suitable and would make a decent infill my advice is go for that now.

 

[^woody^]

Don't listen to your friend, contrary to popular opinion, planners aren't fools

They can see potential of proposals, and you wont be the first to have a situation like this. Planners will invariably place conditions on large extensions which they think will be used for other purposes

Find out their policy, and apply for something which meets the policy.