Side extension on a corner plot

[TheKeymeister]

I'm looking at buying a house with a view to stay there a long time so looking for potential to extend. There's a semi I've seen that's got a reasonable sized corner plot, which I thought was ideal for a future extension.

I have aspirations to one day have a double garage/workshop, the full length of the house preferably. By measuring using software we use at work, the distance from the house to the boundary is about 6.8m, so I'd want to come most of the way out for a double garage.

I have read online that side extensions cannot come within 2m of a boundary, but I'm not sure if this is just for permitted development or not. It does seem a bit extreme, I think I saw references to maintaining openness of the area and sight lines for the public highway, but the land in question currently has a 6ft fence all the way round, so by building up to it, it's not actually affecting sight lines.

Can anyone shed any light on this? I understand that rules are never set in stone and could change whenever, but I don't want to buy a house thinking I can put my dream garage on the side to find out that I haven't got a snowball in hell's chance of ever getting it approved. Thanks in advance!

 

[chapeau]

Depends on where you live but even where we are (conservation area in village included in green belt) extensions similar to this are allowed to quite nice looking houses - if done properly. No idea why you would want a garage mind if you could have livable space, but your house. Wander around the neighbourhood and see what others have done. The only thing that is reasonably certain is that they will make you step it back to avoid 'terracing' effect.

What I'd do is (if you want the house) make an offer subject to planning permission and they take the house off the market. Then apply. In this buyer's market they might go for it.

 

[^woody^]

You can apply for planning permission for building right up to the boundary, but the proposal is considered on its own merits

 

[TheKeymeister]

Thanks for the info, other houses on the same street have put 2 storey side extensions on, but none of the corner plots are really suitable for such an extension due to the way the land slopes etc.

I strongly suspect the sale is a probate so not much chance of planning permission as a condition, plus it'll be a long time before I can afford to build it anyway. House was built in the 70s and hasn't been decorated since! I just wondered if the 'excellent opportunity to extend' that I saw, was actually just more grass to mow and nothing more.

It does lend itself to a hard standing/car port in the interim which would be good as a halfway house until I can afford to do it properly. And hopefully go the whole hog and add some liveable space upstairs!