Victorian alleyway incorporation / front door move

[jonomunday]

I'm looking at the possibility of doing some work on our victorian terrace involving incorporating the alleyway into the house and moving the front door. The plans should explain it a bit better:

Untitled

• jonomunday
• 4 Feb 2012
• 1

What should I consider in terms of planning?

The passageway is not shared with anyone else - it's just a method of getting to the garden without going through the house (in reality it's a shed for bikes and mowers)

Has anyone seen this done elsewhere?

Thanks in advance

 

[OwainDIYer]

You will need Building Regulations approval.

This will draw attention to the fact that the proposed Family Room exits through the kitchen in the event of fire, which may not be acceptable.

Presuambly with a side passageway you don't have a rear alley and so the back yard is enclosed and not a suitable place to exit to?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What's immediately on the other side of the passageway at the moment?

 

[jonomunday]

Thanks for the replies - missed the notification in my inbox otherwise I would have posted quicker!

@Owain - I missed the back door, which exits off the existing kitchen which will still be there. The garden is about 100 feet long so i presume this is an acceptable safe place to exit to

@freddymercurystwin - The house next door is on the other side, although the two houses aren't 'keyed' together. Our house is a 'detached' terrace.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You can't have a detached terrace.

 

[jonomunday]

No, clearly.

What I mean by detached is than it's not attached, just butted up against the houses on either side. The house was not built at the same time as the houses either side - it's a completely different design and layout and is even about 3 feet taller than the houses on either side.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

OK, regarding planning provided you're not in a conservation area or other oddity you will be able to do this under Permitted Development so no need to apply for Planning Permission. read more here: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/extensions/ and this may be of interest too: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/100806_PDforhouseholders_TechnicalGuidance.pdf specifically page 9 onwards

Just to be sure though you should phone your local planning department and check with them that "you retain permitted development rights on this property" as sometimes these can be removed.

Regarding Building Regs the layout will comply provided the family room at the rear has a door into the garden or a compliant escape window. Bear in mind that the new external wall is gonna be at least about 2-300mm thick to comply.

 

[jonomunday]

Thanks for the advice, I'll have a read through these - very useful.