New window in existing dormer

[Matthew Cooper]

Hi,

Thanks for accepting my registration.

Basically I live in a 5 bed detached chalet bungalow, some previous owners did the chalet conversion in the early 1980's including a bathroom with a Velux window and a bedroom with a front and rear dormer.

The front dormer has a large rectangular window, and the rear dormer has nothing at all, on the outside it is just tiled (as attached picture shows), and the inside just has the wall with a radiator on it.

I have spoken to the previous owners (the ones who did the chalet conversion) and they said that they put the lintel in place ready for a window but that it was denied planning!, so he didn't continue with it, but it is ready for it should it be agreed. (I am unable to find anything in the council records that show a declined application).

Basically I now own the property and would like to re look into this again. My builder thinks that it would need planning, but that it shouldn't be an issue due to the fact it doesn't overlook any of my neighbors (as attached).

So I have some questions:

1. Do you think planning is required?
2. If so then could i complete the application myself? (as I want to avoid high costs for architects etc), as I don't think it's necessary

Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[RichA]

Do you have a plan of the building. Will the windows face rear or sideways?

 

[Matthew Cooper]

Do you have a plan of the building. Will the windows face rear or sideways?

Hi Rich,

Thanks for the reply, basically on my original post, picture 1 shows the existing dormer, picture 2 shows the view from our bathroom Velux, and the dormer is directly on the left of that image, facing the back garden shown in picture 2.

The only possible issue is that to the left of the proposed window if you look down you can see next doors garage and end of there driveway. Other than this it isn't viewable from the road.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[RichA]

Matt, thanks, I got that. The bungalow appears to be L-shaped. And what is not clear is which is the side elevation and which is the rear elevation.

Would the dormer windows face towards the rear, or towards the side?

 

[Matthew Cooper]

Matt, thanks, I got that. The bungalow appears to be L-shaped. And what is not clear is which is the side elevation and which is the rear elevation.

Would the dormer windows face towards the rear, or towards the side?

Hi Rich,

Sorry it faces completely to the rear.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[Doggit]

Go and take the pictures and the details to the planning department. They'll happily talk it over with you without you having to commit to anything, and they may have notes in the file that would explain what happened.

Oddly enough, they normally refuse the front dormer, not the rear, but it is possible that it overlooks someones privacy.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Go and take the pictures and the details to the planning department. They'll happily talk it over with you without you having to commit to anything, and they may have notes in the file that would explain what happened.

You're having a laugh right?

 

[^woody^]

I keep coming back to giggle at the dormer picture!

 

[tony1851]

Is it not permitted development to insert a window in a dormer? (as long as it is frosted glass with a top opener if it is on a side elevation)

 

[Matthew Cooper]

Is it not permitted development to insert a window in a dormer? (as long as it is frosted glass with a top opener if it is on a side elevation)

Yes I believe so, however this would be rear facing, with clear glass and 2 openers (to mirror the front dormer).

I may speak to the council informally and see what they say.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[tony1851]

Yes I believe so, however this would be rear facing, with clear glass and 2 openers (to mirror the front dormer).

I may speak to the council informally and see what they say.

Thanks,

Matt

There is no restriction on rear-facing wndows at 2nd floor level, only on side-facing windows.

 

[wessex101]

But the OP said the dormer was originally subject to a planning application as the window was "refused" (I assume the planning officer said remove the window or the application will be refused) so it must have been part of a larger scheme...possibly raising the ridge and the front dormer????

There must be more to this than we are being told otherwise it appears to be a classic permitted development.

I don't see how OP can say it doesn't overlook the neighbours. The garden is so small it must overlook half the neighbourhood.

 

[tony1851]

But the OP said the dormer was originally subject to a planning application as the window was "refused" (I assume the planning officer said remove the window or the application will be refused) so it must have been part of a larger scheme...possibly raising the ridge and the front dormer????

There must be more to this than we are being told otherwise it appears to be a classic permitted development.

I don't see how OP can say it doesn't overlook the neighbours. The garden is so small it must overlook half the neighbourhood.

Agreed; seems odd it needed p.p.in the first place, unless it was > 50m³?

 

[Matthew Cooper]

But the OP said the dormer was originally subject to a planning application as the window was "refused" (I assume the planning officer said remove the window or the application will be refused) so it must have been part of a larger scheme...possibly raising the ridge and the front dormer????

There must be more to this than we are being told otherwise it appears to be a classic permitted development.

I don't see how OP can say it doesn't overlook the neighbours. The garden is so small it must overlook half the neighbourhood.

I presume so, I will need to dig deeper with the council as it was back in 1981 or around that time, so only paper records exist.

To be honest my belief is that it wasn't applied for, I don't think it would have been declined.

Not sure what you mean about overlooking? We only border 2 bungalows, one to the left side and one to the rear, both of which have no side windows to look into? In addition the side neighbour has a garage which obscures his garden from us as it is between us and them. The bungalow behind us has tall conifers between us and them, and there garden backs onto next doors house not ours.

So we don't overlook anyone's garden and we are unable to see inside anyone's else's house. The house is on a large corner plot, the back garden doesn't look very big because you are only seeing half of it! It goes round the back of the plot towards the right and wraps all the way round to the front.

Matt