Planning for cellar conversion- light well

[CharlieB1981]

builders recently converted a cellar conversion for me and insisted it didn't need planning permission

a neighbour advised they looked into it a while back and were advised it needed lanning (they never continued)

i spoke to the local planning team who were less than helpful and just kept repeating 'its up to you and the builders to decide if it affects the appearance or not', but if your changing the appearance at all it will need it.

the issue is the light well- for egress the existing coal chute was used, the sides squared off and made about 6inch longer, a metal grate installed where it was previously a concrete slab, and a window below ground level where the previous coal chute entered the cellar.

anyone else had similar done, did you encounter any issues with planning?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Before and after pics?

 

[CharlieB1981]

no before pics- i'll have some somewhere just cant find them. here is the after pic

as a before pic,- image the below, but 6 inch shorter and finishing flush with the bay window, brick rather than rendered, and a concrete paving slab on top. there is also a window added but that can barely be seen from ground level

 

[SFK]

We did not need planning permission.
And I did not expect to need planning permission.

But Building control were very specific about light well egress (width, ladder mesh on top, drainage at bottom, trip hazard review).
The trip hazard review meant that the grate was completely flat to the ground - likely meaning it posses less of a visual impact.

Yours does stand out. Perhaps Back jack paint it or rub some mud on it asap and fill around it with gravel so it disappears?

 

[CharlieB1981]

i do have plans to paint/blend it in- the driveway/path is being redone next year and was going to sort it as part of that,

prob is planning wont tell me either yes or no if its needed- they've advised i either fill in a retro planning permission or a document that costs £110 to see if they agree

 

[RichA]

Do you require building control approval?

 

[CharlieB1981]

- building control approval is needed for cellar conversations, but that's a separate point to planning