Looking to buy a Care Home to convert back into a family hom

[daveholmsey]

Property currently care home. The property has been long term empty and is now on the market for sale.

The property is vast and has planning permission lodged by the current owner to convert it back into a family home. There are however conditions attached. 1: the very large extension at the rear must come down to make way for a car parking space in the rear garden. NB: the rear of the property has a path giving a 'right of way' allowing for houses on this street to park in the rear and link up with the main road. The reality is no one parks in this space because there is ample residents parking on the front street.

Having spoken to the local planning authority they say because the change of use amounts to a 'new residential development' the 'new property' must contain at least one parking space within the curtilage of the property. They say to make space for this parking space I must knock down the extension at significant cost to me.

My question to anyone out there is whether a property which was once a family home and is now being converted back into a family home amounts to a 'new residential development' and is bound by this crazy rule.

 

[big-all]

a nursing home is commercial so it is a change off use
so will have to comply with the present regulations regardless off what it was in the past

 

[daveholmsey]

sorry to sound finickity but officially it was a residential care home. yes there was commercial activity at the property i.e. residents paying for care, but other areas of the law, such as Council Tax, class the property a dwelling where it was a persons sole of main residence. The property is banded for Council Tax.

my ultimate question is whether a property which was a family home for decades, and became a care home for approx 10 years, whether its transformation back into its original historic usage can be classed as a 'new' residential development and have to comply with the car parking space rules

 

[big-all]

as far as i see it its a change off use so will have to comply the the regulations in force at the time off conversion as in now
but i am no expert just having a guess within my limited knowlege on this point
so wait for others to comment

 

[Credo]

Property currently care home. The property has been long term empty and is now on the market for sale.

The property is vast and has planning permission lodged by the current owner to convert it back into a family home. There are however conditions attached. 1: the very large extension at the rear must come down to make way for a car parking space in the rear garden. NB: the rear of the property has a path giving a 'right of way' allowing for houses on this street to park in the rear and link up with the main road. The reality is no one parks in this space because there is ample residents parking on the front street.

Having spoken to the local planning authority they say because the change of use amounts to a 'new residential development' the 'new property' must contain at least one parking space within the curtilage of the property. They say to make space for this parking space I must knock down the extension at significant cost to me.

My question to anyone out there is whether a property which was once a family home and is now being converted back into a family home amounts to a 'new residential development' and is bound by this crazy rule.

A random thought: I looked around a previous Care Home for sale, noticed that on the first floor the floorboards had been covered with asbestos containing fire boards. Be aware.

 

[leew2]

Does the "car parking space" have to be open air? Or could you fit a garage door or Bifolding door and park the car inside the extension?

 

[cjard]

Can you find the original planning application that changed it from house to care home?

Would it be easier to get permission to change it to C4, then PD it to C3?