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Be careful, if the side/front garden is not currently fenced off it may be because it is classed as "public amenity land". If it is then technically you may need a planning application for change of use. This is quite common on new build estates so you get lots of areas of grass and open space...

Unless you have a very large property ideally all rooms should be accessed from a single circulation area. If you start adding a second staircase just to access a single room the extra wasted floor area you need in the extension to accommodate the additional circulation space becomes expensive...

Two main reasons. As you leave the room possibly at night, half asleep carrying a baby or maybe you are elderly, you need a stable platform where you can stand as you close the door behind you before you start to descend the stairs. Likewise if you are climbing the stairs you need a stable...

Love how when people don't get the answer they wanted they have a hissy fit and lash out at the person who took the trouble to answer their stupid question.

From memory the 15sqm permitted development rule went out about 30 years ago. Now there are a whole host of rules including separate rules for outbuildings so the size and position of the shed will be taken on its own irrespective of any extensions. This provides some guidance ...

The building inspector is wrong, you can have full height glass with no sill if it is 30 mins integrity and insulation glass. It is the same fire protection as a partition. The sill height only applies for integrity fire resistance only as it allows for people to crawl past the window below...

It would be worth checking that the local planning policy on residential side extensions hasn't changed since 2017, otherwise you have a valid point. Although good luck trying to get the average planning officer to see reason.

Is it actually wet or just stained? It doesn't look like the normal discolouration you see on damp wood. It looks like someone has just treated the end of the purlin with wood preservative to me.

I do not think the Planning Officer is saying that you cannot have a rear dormer, just that it needs to be a bit smaller. I would take the available size under permitted development as a starting point and see how much you can increase the dimensions before it appears too bulky. Chances are you...

Fair point but I was assuming it was only the ground floor windows. From the drawing the first floor windows appear to have a higher sill height. If it is the first floor then your point in post #4 would apply, plus maybe restrictor stays to stop children falling out.

I assume the generic note about 800mm is to do with the height of the glass above the floor level, Regulation K.4. If so double check the height of the actual glass in the window not the window sill or frame, if it is still below 800mm you can have toughened glass fitted or raise the sill height...

Just to add my tuppence worth. As Freddie suggested in #7 the first port of call should be the local council's planning policy documents. In addition to the local plan many councils have Supplementary Guidance and Design Guides which go in to more detail and often have specific guidance on side...

To be honest I do not understand your explanation of events. It sounds like Building Control are aware of the sewer so I cannot see how they could issue a completion certificate without a build over agreement from Severn Trent. Even if Building Control did issue a completion certificate in error...

I'm not doing very well am I? Yes I just copied the first version on my computer. That's what happens when you scribble out a reply without thinking it through. Permitted development is not my thing, I hate fiddly little PD jobs so I try to avoid them. I really must stop commenting on PD posts!

If the sewer already runs under the house then getting the build over agreement should be doable. However, if the extension is already built you could be opening a can of worms. Severn Trent will probably ask for the extension foundations to be deeper than the invert level of the sewer. You...

What is a "failed notice"? I'm not familiar with that wording. It sounds like you are still going to need a build over agreement from Severn Trent and without that you will not get a completion certificate from Building Control.

Well spotted by Tony. Attached extract from the technical guidance.

As it is a fairly modern house it is worth checking your permitted development rights are still intact. Sometimes for new housing developments they remove permitted development. LDC - this is not essential but can provide peace of mind and can be useful to have if you ever come to sell the house.

Assuming the floor plan shown is the original layout and the kitchen/study is not a previous extension then the proposed extension looks like it could well be permitted development as a "side extension". Just confirm width of extension (A) is not more than half the width of house, not more...

Playing devils advocate, to be fair that is rather ambiguous and the builder has done as instructed. He removed the soldier course and toothed in the brickwork below the window. Toothing in usually suggests bonding new brickwork to old and might not convey that you wanted the window reveal...