Garage conversion refused - what next? appeal?

[Homeuser]

Dear All,

Need your advice here:

My Garage conversion refused even though I had prior approvals plus garage was existing for more than 60 years. Please go through the attached document and let us know what can be done.









Thanks,
HomeUser

 

[^woody^]

My Garage conversion refused even though I had prior approvals plus garage was existing for more than 60 years.

None of that makes any sense

A conversion or an extension?
New or existing?
Proposed or retrospective application?
How can you have prior approval and then submit a full planning application?

Anyway your only option is to appeal to the planning inspectorate.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Looking at the planning history you didn't have prior approval to convert the garage into a bedroom. If you've left the walls and roof alone and merely changed internal arrangements (window, insulation etc) then you may get lucky with an appeal. You'd need to highlight the fact that the structure was already in place and already impacting on the etc etc so your alterations were mainly internal and not grossly affecting the existing (post 1967) external built environment.

However, if you knocked the garage flat and rebuilt from scratch (which was probably the cheaper way to do it) then you're on a stickier wicket. I suspect that enforcement would require reinstating the garage (which might seem odd to you and anyone else) but there would be an element of punishment in there.

 

[Homeuser]

Hi,

It's a conversion of the existing garage. We applied to planning and they granted. But later on they said height is a problem and reduce the height and then go for retrospective application. Retrospective application changes were made and applied for approval but again they rejected with different reasons.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Your last post makes no sense either. There's no record in your 1st post about any application to convert the garage. But in your most recent post there was obviously some sort of plan submitted and approved. If the original approval was for 2.44m max height then that's what you should have built.

Personally I'm not sure that a difference in height of 600mm would give rise to the comments in the first refusal note but I can't see the building and I'm not an architect so what would I know? Appeal.

 

[garyo]

We applied to planning and they granted. But later on they said height is a problem

Are you saying you built the converted roof taller than the plans, and they've asked you to retrospectively apply for the taller structure?

 

[Homeuser]

Yes, that's correct. Thanks

 

[oldbutnotdead]

And set you up for a fall- note the weasel words at the bottom of their breach notice. Have you had a look at the Redbridge Local Plan yet, in particular local policies LP26 and LP30. If you haven't then read them now and see if there is any way your bedroom conversion could comply. I wonder if the original conversion application was waved through on a hot day...... a quick scan shows no hard numbers but lots of subjective criteria.