Permission to raise roof height for loft conversion

[ln1234]

I'd like to do a loft conversion and currently have a 1.9m height in the loft from plasterboard of ceiling below to bottom of ridge. I'm thinking of putting in an application to increase the height of the ridge to 2.3m and have a rear dormer up to that level.

What is the best way to approach this with planners? Should the height increase be listed as part of the loft conversion or done separately? i.e. apply for the ridge height increase first and then the loft conversion? The house is detached and it's on a hill so neighbouring houses have various roof heights.

Cheers

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Just stick it all under one application. You done any sums yet? Its often cost prohibitive to do this.

 

[ln1234]

Just stick it all under one application. You done any sums yet? Its often cost prohibitive to do this.

Thanks. Yes, doing sums and cost of replacing the whole roof at the moment vs changing the existing. It won't really be worth doing the conversion if we can't get permission to increase the ridge height.

 

[tony1851]

Is there any possibility of lowering the ceilings to gain headroom?

 

[jeds]

I would go for more height than that. 2.3m is still prettty pathetic. You need more like 2.8 or 2.9 for a decent lofty. It will make no difference to the planning app.

 

[DevilDamo]

Is there any possibility of lowering the ceilings to gain headroom?

I was also going to suggest this. At least this way, you still keep the building watertight.

 

[indus]

I would go for more height than that. 2.3m is still prettty pathetic. You need more like 2.8 or 2.9 for a decent lofty. It will make no difference to the planning app.

Agreed. My lofty has a finished head height of just under 2.3m and it still feels quite low. If you start with a ridge height of 2.3m I'm not sure it's even possible to have a loft conversion done is it?

 

[tony1851]

If you start with a ridge height of 2.3m I'm not sure it's even possible to have a loft conversion done is it?

indus; under building regs you can do this as there is no legal minimum headroom for habitable rooms (though there is over stairs/landings).

But agree that if he starts off with 2.3m, and takes into account the new floor thickness, plus flat roof joists and all the insulation, it may well feel a little claustrophobic.

 

[jeds]

What's allowed or not isn't really the point. There are two important things about loft conversions. The space should be good and the stairs should be good. Low headroom space is carp and reduces the value. If you're going to raise the ridge by half a metre you might as well go the full metre. It won't make any difference to the planning app and will make only a small difference to the work. The space will be much more comfortable and valuable.

 

[indus]

Agreed. I don't know whether it was peculiar to my loft or whether mine was badly planned but I lost loads of headroom.

A combination of the new joists sitting on the new steels combined with really thick insulating layers for the ceiling (specified by bc) meant I lost a lot of the original height.

I've ended up with just shy of 2.3m as a ceiling height, and even this feels quite low.

So even if BC don't specify a minimum ceiling height if you start with 2.3m what would you end up with as a finished ceiling height??

The op wants a rear dormer so I presume this will be a little lower than the ridge? So we aren't even starting at 2.3m, we are starting from below this level.