Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

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ASG
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Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby ASG » Wed Jul 03, 2019 1:16 pm

Hi residents of Wandsworth, 

We just wanted to share this information with you as it may affect many of you who are looking to extend your properties in the near future. 

Residents of Wandsworth Borough have for many years happily lived with the most pragmatic and sensible Planning Department in London – unfortunately this has now changed. It has, for at least the last 10 years, been possible to add a good amount of extra accommodation in roof extensions by using a combination of Planning and Permitted Development rules. This week the Planning Department have suddenly, without consultation and without any change in policy, started to refuse the Permitted Development part of these applications – the so called “pod” extension over the rear. This means that anyone looking to maximise the living space they can add to their roof will have their application refused – even if their neighbours and other houses on the street have exactly the same type of extension! This will drastically affect not only the amount of extra space you can add to your house but also, of course, the additional value. We would suggest that every resident of Wandsworth contacts their local Councillor as soon as possible to complain about this summary change before it is too late. Please contact us for further details.

If you would like any more information about this, please feel free to contact us on the following:

info@architecturalservicesgroup.com 

https://architecturalservicesgroup.com/
02073819149
Last edited by ASG on Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:55 am, edited 2 times in total.
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sloaney donkey
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby sloaney donkey » Sun Jul 07, 2019 7:56 am

Will it also impact the amount of business ASG gets ?
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Kirstie’s Mom
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby Kirstie’s Mom » Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:59 am

I am cheering this having seen how most of you are ruining once beautiful Victorian homes with giant kitchen halls that have absolutely no context with the rest of the house. I only wish this would have happened before the fools who bought my house were granted permission
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gorgarella
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby gorgarella » Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:43 am

It’s totally daft to say these houses are being ruined. Hundreds of thousands of them got put up at speed with no foundations, no indoor loos, no plumbing or electricity to house people. Anyway, it’s not the side return extensions that are problematic, it’s the pod on the back of houses.

Back to the original post, though, Lambeth has recently done the same - saying they have been interpreting the PD rules incorrectly all along. Apparently some appeals are about to start, and I’ve been told that if you can show there is a pattern of these along your streets, they may say you can do it. Beware an architect who doesn’t inform you of this (it either means they don’t know about the issue or will take your money even if they do.)

It is completely bonkers though.
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ASG
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby ASG » Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:48 am

ppasha27 wrote: Sun Jul 07, 2019 7:52 amIs this an official guideline now?

This is how Wandsworth now intend to interpret permitted development in this situation. 
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ASG
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby ASG » Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:35 am

gorgarella wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:43 amIt’s totally daft to say these houses are being ruined. Hundreds of thousands of them got put up at speed with no foundations, no indoor loos, no plumbing or electricity to house people. Anyway, it’s not the side return extensions that are problematic, it’s the pod on the back of houses.

Back to the original post, though, Lambeth has recently done the same - saying they have been interpreting the PD rules incorrectly all along. Apparently some appeals are about to start, and I’ve been told that if you can show there is a pattern of these along your streets, they may say you can do it. Beware an architect who doesn’t inform you of this (it either means they don’t know about the issue or will take your money even if they do.)

It is completely bonkers though.
Hi @gorgarella 
 Absolutely correct – although on a technical level Lambeth’s interpretation is slightly different and they will not allow any type of extension over the rear addition now as Permitted Development. They have allowed at least one as Planning Permission recently because of the “pattern of development” argument but, really, this just makes the situation even more unfair – you can only do an extension if all your neighbours have done it! There are several Appeals running in Lambeth, we expect to see the first decisions probably towards the end of August (the Appeals process is slow, they were submitted last September/October!).  And yes, please be aware that there could be architects and agents who don’t know about this - which is why we published this information here.
 
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magnificentseven
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby magnificentseven » Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:48 am

What examples do you have please ? 
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gorgarella
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby gorgarella » Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:55 am

Thanks for your reply. What is it exactly that Wandsworth isn’t allowing then? I’m not clear how it’s different from Lambeth?
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Nev123
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby Nev123 » Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:08 am

Does this have any effect for those wishing to put balconies off the back of existing pod rooms? Ie flattening out the roof. This seems to be a new trend. Would Wandsworth allow that?
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ndubz
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby ndubz » Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:31 am

Hello everyone - I posted about this a few months ago back when Lambeth initiated their change in view without warning. 
This is a very specific change in interpretation of Permitted Development rights driven by a decision in Lambeth in July last year, which is incorrect and a blatant misrepresentation of what the legislation sets out to do (as backed up by the guidance document published alongside it). 
Some appeal decisions are coming through and are failing due to being very poorly written and are adding to the problem... inspectors tend to use previous appeals as a guide in their decision making and tend to go with the consensus.
Unfortunately it now means those without the pod have homes that are less desirable/valuable than those with.
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gorgarella
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby gorgarella » Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:35 am

Have you seen some appeal decisions? Are they published anywhere? Thanks
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ndubz
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby ndubz » Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:43 am

Hi Gorgarella - yes theyre all published on the planning inspectorate site.  If you search the address 54 Natal Road you will see the appeal decision driving the change.
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ndubz
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby ndubz » Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:58 am

ASG wrote: Wed Jul 03, 2019 1:16 pmHi residents of Wandsworth, 

We just wanted to share this information with you as it may affect many of you who are looking to extend your properties in the near future. 

Residents of Wandsworth Borough have for many years happily lived with the most pragmatic and sensible Planning Department in London – unfortunately this has now changed. It has, for at least the last 10 years, been possible to add a good amount of extra accommodation in roof extensions by using a combination of Planning and Permitted Development rules. This week the Planning Department have suddenly, without consultation and without any change in policy, started to refuse the Permitted Development part of these applications – the so called “pod” extension over the rear. This means that anyone looking to maximise the living space they can add to their roof will have their application refused – even if their neighbours and other houses on the street have exactly the same type of extension! This will drastically affect not only the amount of extra space you can add to your house but also, of course, the additional value. We would suggest that every resident of Wandsworth contacts their local Councillor as soon as possible to complain about this summary change before it is too late. Please contact us for further details.

If you would like any more information about this, please feel free to contact us on the following:

info@architecturalservicesgroup.com 
https://architecturalservicesgroup.com/02073819149
ASG  - so glad someone else is finally trying to make people aware of this change!!!
 
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https://speakingofinteriors.com/
http://www.hurlinghamdevelopments.co.uk/
http://www.ayrtonbespoke.com/
https://kitchenrevolutions.co.uk/
ASG
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby ASG » Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:00 pm

gorgarella wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:55 amThanks for your reply. What is it exactly that Wandsworth isn’t allowing then? I’m not clear how it’s different from Lambeth?
Lambeth are using a different Appeal decision to base their refusals on (the Natal Rd one mentioned) to Wandsworth, who are using an Oxford City decision and one (in our view very different case) in Wandsworth. The difference is quite technical - involving different clauses of the General Permitted Development Order but, essentially, Wandsworth are treating the large pod extensions as an extra floor rather than a roof extension. In practical terms this means they may still allow some Permitted Development pods but, again in our view, it then becomes a subjective decision as to how big an extension constitutes an "extra floor" - and the PD rules are meant to be non-subjective! So, in fact, it is very difficult to answer the question "What is it exactly that Wandsworth isn’t allowing then?", in conversations with them they don't seem entirely clear themselves.
 
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ASG
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Re: Disastrous change to Wandsworth Planning

Postby ASG » Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:04 pm

Nev123 wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 11:08 amDoes this have any effect for those wishing to put balconies off the back of existing pod rooms? Ie flattening out the roof. This seems to be a new trend. Would Wandsworth allow that?

Hi Nev123, balconies that you can stand on are not, and never have been, Permitted Development. In our view the new interpretation wouldn't stop anyone from removing a section of pitched roof but you would risk enforcement action if you used it as a terrace - funnily enough Lambeth tried to stop something like this on the basis that it might be used as a terrace and they lost that Appeal. Juliet balconies - railings across doors, shouldn't be affected by the change.
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