Porch on terrace - how to measure height on sloping ground?

[Pinter75]

Hi,

Bit of an odd one this....

We have a terrace out front, it is 2 meters high from the garden (at the point it rises from the ground), and the garden is about 1 m high from the road.

We want to add a porch to part of the terrace under PD, and tie it into the existing flat roof on our side extension.

Now the whole house (bungalow) is built on a slope and rises up from the road, so measuring the height of the new porch is confusing...

2m terrace wall + 1m to road level + 1m to roof is 4m.

Does anyone know what the base level for measurements are?

Here is a piccy - porch addition is in red.

Cheers!

 

[LukeB123]

Firstly, you may well not be able to do the porch if you are tieing it into an existing roof of a side extension - whole thing could be classed as a front / side extension.

In terms of height, we would need to know what is the 'original' ground level. If the house was built like that (or stood like that in the 50's if it was built before) Then (subject to PD rights being in tact) I would be comfortable that you measure your porches height from the terrace level. If not, or the terrace has been added, then you would need to identify the original level of the land adjacent to where you want to put your porch. With such a steep access however, you would have to assume the original land level in any case would be somewhere around that of the terrace?

 

[Pinter75]

Hi,

Thanks. The house was built in 1937, including the main terrace. It was extended in 2016 with planning to the width of the house. It is the new bit we would like to add the porch to. You say it may need planning to tie into the roof, is this still the case if the roof is the old garage conversion, and not the main?

 

[^woody^]

Highest point of ground immediately adjacent to the porch.

 

[John D v2.0]

This could be an issue since the 3m is from the highest adjacent natural ground level. If their interpretation is as the level 50 years ago you might be ok, but interpretation might be difficult from here. It's probably one of those that are defined by precedent in court unfortunately.
You still have some options, if it's not obtrusive you could try to get away with it, you could put your view across to the planning department and see what they think informally, if you want the security try applying for a lawful development certificate which isn't too costly, or finally you could apply for full planning permission which although overkill means they would consider it individually against the local policies.

 

[^woody^]

f their interpretation is as the level 50 years ago you might be ok, but interpretation might be difficult from here.

If the ground has been built up the day before the planner's visit, then no. If it's been built up as part of the initial development or has been for several years then yes.

 

[Pinter75]

So the raised terrace has been there since it was build in 1937. We extended it in 2016 to the same level, which we want to add the porch to.

Here is a pic to show where we want to add the porch. The part to tie into was completed 2016 and is an extension of the garage conversion dating to 2005.

 

[^woody^]

That will need formal permission.

 

[Pinter75]

So a full planning then, wish me luck!