Hello,
we am just embarking on a refurbishment and extension of an Edwardian terrace home in London, and need help.
We are intending to do a full width 3m single storey rear extension under PD. Neither house either side has a rear extension currently. (one side has built up on what we think is the party fence wall to support a lean-to. We intend to replace this with a proper wall as part of the extension and re-attach the lean to onto the side of this.)
The intention is to have the extension as high as PD will allow - 3m at the back of the extension sloping up to 4m at the back wall of the house.
Our problem - the garden is about 90cm lower than the back of the house (there are concrete steps down to the garden.) as we are on a hill. Therefore at the allowed 3m height of the extension at the back, the head height inside at the floor level of the house will only be 2m - too low!)
Without realising, the company who were drawing our plans just assumed it would be ok to have a step down at the point where the extension starts in effect creating a split room on what was meant to be the big open kitchen/diner. We have a 6month so the last thing we want is a step in the middle of the room, and this divides it anyway and not how we imagined it would be like.
Do we have any other options? Our designers said we would never get planning for a height greater than under PD, and so this is best/only option.
We have looked at other houses in the street, and they are all typical L shaped (with stairs down to the kitchen on a slightly lower level) - so they are already lower level at the start of the kitchen before any extension. We are one of only 4 house where we are a box (no L), so the house is all on one level, with this large drop down into the garden.
We have thought about trying to lower the floor for the whole kitchen/diner, but you then create a step into this room at the doorway (which seems dangerous to me!)
Are there any exemptions for where the garden drops like this?
Could we get planning for a higher back than 3m?
Could we build up the garden to create a higher ground level?
Have been searching for answers but am unfortunately stumped!
Many thanks for any suggestions,
we am just embarking on a refurbishment and extension of an Edwardian terrace home in London, and need help.
We are intending to do a full width 3m single storey rear extension under PD. Neither house either side has a rear extension currently. (one side has built up on what we think is the party fence wall to support a lean-to. We intend to replace this with a proper wall as part of the extension and re-attach the lean to onto the side of this.)
The intention is to have the extension as high as PD will allow - 3m at the back of the extension sloping up to 4m at the back wall of the house.
Our problem - the garden is about 90cm lower than the back of the house (there are concrete steps down to the garden.) as we are on a hill. Therefore at the allowed 3m height of the extension at the back, the head height inside at the floor level of the house will only be 2m - too low!)
Without realising, the company who were drawing our plans just assumed it would be ok to have a step down at the point where the extension starts in effect creating a split room on what was meant to be the big open kitchen/diner. We have a 6month so the last thing we want is a step in the middle of the room, and this divides it anyway and not how we imagined it would be like.
Do we have any other options? Our designers said we would never get planning for a height greater than under PD, and so this is best/only option.
We have looked at other houses in the street, and they are all typical L shaped (with stairs down to the kitchen on a slightly lower level) - so they are already lower level at the start of the kitchen before any extension. We are one of only 4 house where we are a box (no L), so the house is all on one level, with this large drop down into the garden.
We have thought about trying to lower the floor for the whole kitchen/diner, but you then create a step into this room at the doorway (which seems dangerous to me!)
Are there any exemptions for where the garden drops like this?
Could we get planning for a higher back than 3m?
Could we build up the garden to create a higher ground level?
Have been searching for answers but am unfortunately stumped!
Many thanks for any suggestions,
