Bill Ta'Few

Thanks for your comments everyone, one side elevation is about 1.000m from the boundary so I could certainly argue for that elevation to be masonry on Building Reg's grounds. Current ridge height is 4.9 with eaves at 3m, his main grievance is that he thinks it will be over domineering upon the house if it's built out of the same brick, it's 1.2m from the house at the back corner but angles away so it's about 5m away by the front corner, he believes dark stained timber cladding will be less prominent. The house is 2 storey and house eaves are above the garage's eaves and likewise the ridge is higher, so I can't really see where he's coming from. It is semi rural, but not remote, last house on the lane before it goes into countryside and the front of the garage is over 20m from the road. Looks like it's just one of those cases where his opinion is different from mine and he's exploiting the fact that he's the Planner. I'd rather not have to delay with an appeal because I want to get building and as it's quite likely I'll be selling the house within the next couple of years I need to keep it legit. He's on holiday this week so I'll enter phase 2 of the negotiations next week, just hope he sees sense because it will be a real pain propping the roof and trying to build the walls up out of brick to meet it.

Hello all I'm looking for any information that would back up my belief/ hope that I can brick round a garage that's currently clad in plywood sheets, the Permitted Development Technical Guidance notes don't make reference to this scenario and when referring to cladding to the main house they say materials should be 'of similar appearance to the main dwelling house'. The main house is brick but if pushed I'm concerned that Planners may infer that materials used to re-clad a garage should 'be of similar appearance' to the original garage. I currently have a Planning Application in, to demolish & rebuild the garage out of brick, but the Planner is adamant he wants it timber clad, hence I'm looking for ways to strengthen my hand, the size of the garage and proximity to the boundary means I can't just rebuild it under PD. Any help would be gratefully received. Thanks Bill

Greetings all, I was an occasional 'passer by' on the old site and like many others have now found you again. I used to be an NHBC registered Builder/ Developer so have, as the name suggests, built a few, but I took shelter from the recession by getting a 'proper job'. Currently work as a Clerk of Works, mainly employed by Housing Association Clients to inspect sites being built by the big PLC House Builders, quite an eye opener what they try and get away with, although to be fair to them most of their staff are so under qualified they don't even realise they're doing it wrong.