Principal elevation on backland house

[acorner]

Hi all,

 

I’m in early research ('thinking') mode trying to figure out whether I can build a garden office (2.5x2.5, up to 4x3, <2.5m high) on the left-hand boundary (green box) under permitted development. The road is at the top approx 60 metres north. Where is the principal elevation?

 

[joe90]

Interesting

 

Principal elevation means the 'front' of the house. Most houses are built so that the 'front' of the house faces a road. As this is the part of the house that is seen by most members of the public, it will usually be designed to be the most important elevation or 'principal elevation'.

 

however, I extended a former house with a cloakroom/front door porch under PD, the house faced sideways to the road (as the land along side used to be part of the garden) and the council didn’t argue (like they usually do!!!).  I would just tell them you ARE doing it under PD as the house does not face the road and even hardly not seen from the road and see what their reply is.

Edited July 16, 2023 by joe90

[Temp]

To my eye.. the planners would consider that the front garden. If you just look at the house without taking into account its surroundings.. which elevation looks like the front? If it wasn't obvious would you really go looking for the front door behind the garage? 

Edited July 16, 2023 by Temp

[acorner]

I guess there is a lot of subjectivity to it! Our neighbours (outlined in blue) were the original land owners. Their garage is on the left-hand side and faces the road. Their front door faces the road. If we had a garage, which we don’t, it would likely be in front of the the green box, facing the road (where #2 line is below). Our front door faces the left-hand boundary. I’d consider where the green box is located in the original post as the ’side garden’ (maybe optimistic) and the driveway and flower areas aside the driveway as the front garden.

 

The area where the green box is not visible from the road, and not visible to the neighbours due shrubs and fencing, except it would poke over the neighbours to the rear's fence. They have an outbuilding which you can partially see on the drawings. Worth noting there are also 3 old oak trees (not protected) along the left boundary, meaning the outbuilding would be 'no dig' groundworks. That's also an extra layer of complexity for planning that I'm hoping to avoid with permitted development. Joe90's suggestion is great, thank you, along with consulting other knowledgable people. 

 

Easy solution is to build in the back garden (high visibility for us and loss of prolonged sunnier areas, and some for the neighbours in front), or rent an office elsewhere. 

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by acorner

[DevilDamo]

It would require Planning. 

[joe90]

IMO  I think #2 shows the principle elevation, it faces the road (which means you can use PD) it talks about the principle elevation (the singular), I think #3 is elevations (plural) which is not mentioned in the rules 🤷‍♂️

[Dave Jones]

which elevation has front door/letterbox ?

[BigBub]

Since it looks like your property was built from a division of land from the property outlined in blue, I would check first that PD rights weren't removed.

[acorner]

Thanks for all the useful replies.

 

Dave Jones, front door is here:

 

 

BigBub, no restrictions on permitted development according to conveyancing documents.

Edited July 16, 2023 by acorner

[DevilDamo]

This is what I would consider the principal elevation as it contains the main architectural features… in addition to the front door. So a suitably designed outbuilding positioned behind that blue line would imo be considered PD.