You will no doubt feel a sense of excitement when it comes to buying your first house, but that will eventually change to making it feel more like your home instead of someone else’s. Whether you are in Stockport or Tameside, conservatories are a popular choice when it comes to extending your property. If you are looking to make that investment, you might want to consider how important planning permission might be for your project.
The Evening Chronicle reports on a father who has been told that he must take down a house extension that was built for his son. Abid Hussain added a downstairs bathroom to his home last year, specifically for the fact that his son, Raheem, struggles to walk due to a medical condition.
You might be wondering what kind of problem Newcastle City Council would have with his decision? It is not down to his reasons, but rather the construction material used was timber and it does not fit in with the rest of the properties on Baxter Avenue in Fenham.
There will be many people that will sympathise with Mr Hussain for only trying to help his son. However, they might feel even more sorry for him after they learn that he must tear down an extension that cost him £10,000.
Mr Hussain commented: “This is the only space we have to extend the house, every house on the street is the same. There are other houses here with the same extension done by the same builders, so why is mine wrong? If we must take it down, it will put a lot more stress on the little one.”
Mr Hussain suggests that he was told that he did not require planning permission for the extension to his house, while Newcastle City Council said that no planning application was made for the bathroom.
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson commented: “The extension has used materials that do not match those used on the main house and therefore requires planning permission. We advised the owners that the appearance of the extension is out of character with the area and therefore is unlikely to gain permission.”
According to GOV.UK, planning permission is needed if something new is being built, a significant alteration is made to a property – which includes an extension – or a change is made to the actual building. You might not be surprised to hear that failure to have the correct permission will result in an enforcement notice like Mr Hussain received for his downstairs bathroom.
You will know full well that improving your home will require a significant investment. In fact, you will probably spend plenty of time planning and designing the layout, making sure it feels like the perfect addition to your property. However, you should always remember that planning permission should be near the top of your priorities – if not at the top – to avoid any issues where you are left out of a new extension and your money.
