Planning permission

[RogerS]

Nothing on the Govt portal covers this as far as I can see but I may have to think about applying for outline planning permission to convert the workshop to a granny flat. No idea where to start. Herefordshire did use to hold open planning clinics to have an initial discussion but I think they may have fallen by the wayside but I'm checking it out as it would be the most obvious port of call without spending any money.

However any pointers, suggestions gratefully received.

 

[Wizard9999]

Roger

Based only on the examples close to me (no personal experience of this one though) the key question / issue may be whether the anex is capable of being used as a standalone dwelling. If it can't be (e.g. because no separate entrance) or is conditioned not to be, I suspect the road may be considerably easier. I guess on this point a detatched building is open to more suspicion from the planners than say an attached garage being converted.

Terry.

 

[RogerS]

Mmm...that's interesting, Terry, albeit disconcerting as it is indeed a separate building.

 

[Rod]

Crikey does this mean you will loose your Shop?!
Perhaps a refusal might be what you would prefer? [emoji6]

Rod

 

[Mike G]

Goodness............permitted development isn't my field, but I'm pretty sure that you can do this conversion without permission (providing PD rights haven't been removed, you aren't in a National Park, that conversion wasn't explicitly excluded in the permission to build the workshop in the first place, and on, and on.........). If that isn't the case, and I urge you to check first, then I am even more certain that the presumption is in favour of the applicant. In other words, you can expect to succeed with an application. As a tip, I believe that Councils expect to be notified when PD rights are exercised in this way, so you'll be writing to them anyway. You may as well write and ask them what the situation is.

All this is based on a half-remembered conversation with a Planning Officer a couple of years ago, so it is worth precisely what you paid for it

Edited to add;

Of course, the conversion (change of use) itself may not require permission, but if you have to make changes to the building, such as adding windows, then that may well require permission.

 

[Mike G]

Mmm...that's interesting, Terry, albeit disconcerting as it is indeed a separate building.

Their worry is only that it could be sold off separately from your house and thereby create another dwellinghouse. It is usually quite easy to demonstrate that this would be impractical/ impossible.

 

[RogerS]

Mmm...that's interesting, Terry, albeit disconcerting as it is indeed a separate building.

...... It is usually quite easy to demonstrate that this would be impractical/ impossible.

That's very interesting, Mike. Any quick suggestions to do this, please ?

As an aside, we are in an AONB

 

[9fingers]

Mmm...that's interesting, Terry, albeit disconcerting as it is indeed a separate building.

...... It is usually quite easy to demonstrate that this would be impractical/ impossible.

That's very interesting, Mike. Any quick suggestions to do this, please ?

As an aside, we are in an AONB

Roger, another related point.
My understanding (that is code for "check this is correct, I could be wrong"!) is that if a granny annexe or other subdivision of the property could be classed as a separate dwelling usually by have it's own access door from the outside, it will attract its own council tax assessment and you may need to pay accordingly. Given that now council tax is levied on unoccupied dwellings, should the worst come to the worst that at sometime in the future, your occupant then is no longer there, then CT will still be due.

It could be that as a result of the split, your main home would then fall into a lower band and compensate to a degree for the new annexe. CT changes are normally only made when a property changes hands but I think (same caveat as above) subdivision to provide an annex bypasses this.

To avoid the above complications, connecting the annex to the main house and sharing a front door could be needed.

Bob

 

[Mike G]

Mmm...that's interesting, Terry, albeit disconcerting as it is indeed a separate building.

...... It is usually quite easy to demonstrate that this would be impractical/ impossible.

That's very interesting, Mike. Any quick suggestions to do this, please ?

As an aside, we are in an AONB

The AONB makes no difference.

Things like vehicle access, amenity space (garden) and independent services are the obvious, and another easy way is to not install a kitchen, thereby making the annexe dependent on the main building. When I say "don't install a kitchen", that's not exactly what I mean. Don't show a kitchen on any of your submitted drawings would be more accurate. The two things may or may not be the same.

 

[RogerS]

Thanks, Mike !

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Roger,

I had a problem many years ago with council tax. On the 31st March and the 1st April I received council tax bills for our "granny" flat (old year/new year). It contained a shower, toilet and kitchen.

I contacted a friend at the local authority who told me the test was can you eat, sleep and drink in the "granny" flat. I contacted our plumber and got him to remove the kitchen asap.

When the council inspected it they said as there were no cooking facilities that it did not qualify as a separate rateable entity.

It is now part of my workshop. Incidentally it has it's own door into the garden, that leads to a side gate.

Neil