Difficult council and garage conversion

[andy_g]

My garage has been built on the boundary such as its back wall is the actual boundfary. That was done in the 80s when the house was originally built.

The garage is detached and the only visible sides of it is the back wall and the side wall.

My wife was thinking of converting it to liveable space and by that I mean fix the roof which is leaking a lot, brick up the garasge doors and put a nicer floor down.

Because the garage doors are not visible to anyone outside my property I was thinking I can brick them up with anything I like since noone can see it.

In the meantime I have heard about building regulations requiring insulation in walls and floor and roof, and was thinking, supposing I do nothing like that at all, what can the council exactly do? Can the prevent me from taking a TV set and a folding bed and wathcing TV in my garage?

This sounds a little bit confronational but I have had terrible experiences with the council and I'd rather avoid them if the law allows me to.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Converting a garage through building control is pretty simple and not likely to be contentious unless there is some major defects or other issue.

Anyway if you illegally convert the garage to habitable space and do not get BC approval and they find out then they may well right some snotty letters to you but are unlikely to ever do any more than that unless they perceive there to be a risk to life but that sounds unlikely here. Of course one assumes that you would use common sense and don't run an extension lead from the house to power the tv for example. Of course when you come to sell the buyers solicitor will ask for the BC approval, some buyers may be put off, some will accept an indemnity, others won't give a toss, others may try to get you to lower the price, who knows. But that's the chance you take.

After 12 months BC cannot prosecute anyway (unless it's if there is a risk to life as mentioned).

 

[tony1851]

I have had terrible experiences with the council

Welcome to the club.

 

[noseall]

I have had terrible experiences with the council

Sounds like a reg's dodger to me.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

tony or the OP?

 

[noseall]

The OP.

One is Reg's avoidance (Tony) and the other is reg's evasion (OP).

 

[andy_g]

Thank you very much for the replies.

The builder who came and quoted suggested we do it without any approvals.

I have looked at nearby houses/garage extentions and all of them had the flat roof replaced with a pitched roof, of varying heights. One looks pretty much like a bungalow. Another is a triple garage monstrocity that has the hugest roof I have ever seen, you could build another floor inside that roof easily.

What is going to happen is I am going to apply for permission to raise my garage's roof by 10 cm, and they will deny it. I am sure of it because that is how they are.

 

[andy_g]

Actually one more question.

We discussed the building regs.

There is also planning approvals.

There are two things I would like to do:

1) brick up the garage doors and make them into windows. The doors are not visible from outside the property because the garage is built with its back to the side boundary. So I suppose they should not object to that. But I have very bitter experiences I'd rather not even tell them.

2) raise the roof - so that the inside of the garage has adequate ceiling height. That will be visible from outside my property especially if I replace the flat roof with a pitched roof. If I go ahead anyway, what can they do to me?

Many thanks

 

[noseall]

There is also planning approvals.

Can you provide enough off-road parking for the size of the property in lieu of losing the garage parking space?

 

[andy_g]

Yes. Lots of space for cars in my driveway/front yard.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

OP's a muppet, over and out.

 

[cjard]

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/


On an unrelated note: pilots say "over" or "out" - "over and out" is Hollywood's take on it

 

[andy_g]

OP's a muppet, over and out.

HYDIAF