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Hi, I’m looking for some advice please. We submitted a planning application 14 weeks ago. We are the end terrace of 4 and we applied for a 4m rear extension. The neighbour next to us and the neighbour next to them both already have 4m extensions, our neighbours is a conservatory.
When the decision date arrived we heard nothing from Birmingham city council. I gave it a few days and then contacted the planning officer. He told me that due to an administration error, the golf course on the other side of us had not been consulted previously but the letter has now been sent, we would need to wait the statutory consultation period. I asked at the time if anything else would be holding up the application and was told no. Ten days later I received an email from the planning officer, the day prior to him going on annual leave, the letter had only been sent that day - he’d got it wrong.
I waited the consultation period and again heard nothing so I called the officer a few days later and he said the golf course hadn’t responded so our application was recommended for approval. He called me back two days later to say he’d made a mistake and actually the application in its current state would be refused based on the 45 degree code.
The reason they state for a breach of the code is that although in the planning policy it states that the 45 degree measurement can be taken from a conservatory if the conservatory is ‘fully glazed’ The measurement should be taken from the original rear wall. I sent the officer a photograph which shows that the roof of the conservatory is insulated and boarded and the room is used as a dining room but he said they would need to have solid walls too for it not to be classed as fully glazed. Surely if it has solid walls and roof it’s no longer a conservatory?
So my question is, how can I find the planning definition of fully glazed and is it worth trying to fight this? I’ve found the building refs definition which is a roof which is 75% transparent material but this isn’t the same as planning apparently. My poor builder is trying to hold out for my job and I feel awful. It’s so frustrating because the planning officer has just messed me about the whole time
Thanks so much for any advice,
Jess
When the decision date arrived we heard nothing from Birmingham city council. I gave it a few days and then contacted the planning officer. He told me that due to an administration error, the golf course on the other side of us had not been consulted previously but the letter has now been sent, we would need to wait the statutory consultation period. I asked at the time if anything else would be holding up the application and was told no. Ten days later I received an email from the planning officer, the day prior to him going on annual leave, the letter had only been sent that day - he’d got it wrong.
I waited the consultation period and again heard nothing so I called the officer a few days later and he said the golf course hadn’t responded so our application was recommended for approval. He called me back two days later to say he’d made a mistake and actually the application in its current state would be refused based on the 45 degree code.
The reason they state for a breach of the code is that although in the planning policy it states that the 45 degree measurement can be taken from a conservatory if the conservatory is ‘fully glazed’ The measurement should be taken from the original rear wall. I sent the officer a photograph which shows that the roof of the conservatory is insulated and boarded and the room is used as a dining room but he said they would need to have solid walls too for it not to be classed as fully glazed. Surely if it has solid walls and roof it’s no longer a conservatory?
So my question is, how can I find the planning definition of fully glazed and is it worth trying to fight this? I’ve found the building refs definition which is a roof which is 75% transparent material but this isn’t the same as planning apparently. My poor builder is trying to hold out for my job and I feel awful. It’s so frustrating because the planning officer has just messed me about the whole time
Thanks so much for any advice,
Jess