Who ultimately decides and how can I know upfront?

[Russell griffiths]

I personally think it’s better if the surrounding houses are all a bit different, there’s nothing really you need to fit in with. 
 

I had this, the local housing stock was a complete abortion of 1980’s fake Cotswold stone, there was no way they could say they wanted me to match in with a load of houses that shouldn’t have been built like they were. 

[Tony L]

2 hours ago, saveasteading said:

....come back later.

Will do.  I'm here to learn.

 

& I agree with you about the cladding that's just left untreated, to turn grey like a cheap garden fence panel.

 

[flanagaj]

4 hours ago, joe90 said:

This is exactly what I faced, bungalow one side and room In roof the other, it wasn't till I pointed out, with the street scene drawing, our two story cottage had a lower ridge than the room in roof with loads of velux,s. 

Did you have to point that out at appeal?

[flanagaj]

2 hours ago, saveasteading said:

....come back later.

 

Re timber cladding. Personally, I don't like it turning grey. I have it coated in sadolin. Very dark brown or light oak. The latter is invisible but that colour then stays put. 10 years in the sun and a recoat is needed. Longer than that in the shade.

Thinking we will use a thermally modified cladding.

Brimstone Sycamore Cladding - Vastern

Glazing and cladding are two things we feel that we cannot scrimp on.

[Russell griffiths]

29 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

Thinking we will use a thermally modified cladding.

Brimstone Sycamore Cladding - Vastern

Glazing and cladding are two things we feel that we cannot scrimp on.

Vastern have a nice showroom if you haven’t been yet. 

[joe90]

2 hours ago, flanagaj said:

Did you have to point that out at appeal?

I pointed it out to the planners who kept telling me next doors ridge was x meters tall when in fact it was x + 1.2meters (I measured it when they were out: ) but the planners ignored me so yes I made the point in the appeal. The neighbour had built 1200mm higher than they told planning but it was over 10 years ago and I didn’t mind but goes to show the planners don’t check.

[flanagaj]

4 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Vastern have a nice showroom if you haven’t been yet. 

Not yet.  Hoping to go very soon though.

[Russell griffiths]

10 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

Not yet.  Hoping to go very soon though.

You know the self build centre is in Swindon just down the road. 

[Tosh]

5 hours ago, flanagaj said:

Thinking we will use a thermally modified cladding.

Brimstone Sycamore Cladding - Vastern

Be aware that this will still silver. Vastern have weathered panels on display outside.

[saveasteading]

1 hour ago, Tosh said:

this will still silver.

Yes. some people like it. Others say they do in a positive way of making  the best of things.

I like to stain it, whether raw pine , or cooked hardwood.

[Tosh]

30 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Yes. some people like it. Others say they do in a positive way of making  the best of things.

I like to stain it, whether raw pine , or cooked hardwood.

Likewise, I prefer to keep the wood fresh looking.

[bassanclan]

I got a book " The planning game" by Ken Djyksmann (spelling?) out the library, it is very helpful

[Mr Punter]

19 hours ago, Tosh said:

Likewise, I prefer to keep the wood fresh looking.

 

Euphemism?

[Alan Ambrose]

>>> I had this, the local housing stock was a complete abortion of 1980’s fake Cotswold stone, there was no way they could say they wanted me to match in with a load of houses that shouldn’t have been built like they were. 

 

Yeah, quite, sometimes LPAs can’t see the wood from the trees. Soneone should tell my LPA that the objective is to improve the housing stock, not to bring everything down to a 1950s prefab standard.

[Tosh]

16 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

Euphemism?

Lol, too late in life for that...

[ToughButterCup]

On 05/10/2024 at 08:35, flanagaj said:

...
I find it frustrating that you cannot determine upfront as to whether it will be approved by the LPA, or rejected by the LPA and approved on appeal, or rejected by both.  

...

 

We had exactly your issue.  Exactly....  Answer? Micropolitics and experience. 

 

Our architect knows (knew) almost all the Planners (until they were outsourced a couple of years ago). Not good mates, but he knew our Planning Officer because they had workd toether in Lancaster. Our place is Scandi writ large on the end of a 'chocolate box' row of local cottages - but Passivhaus

 

Quite similar to your set up it would appear....

 

We needed to set the house back - negociated with the Planner - and we needed to lose the planned  bit of the house above the flat roof at the front - again  negociated with the Planner.

I love both your designs.

Eye on the main prize - Permission. Adapt, talk, improve. 

Good luck!

[flanagaj]

I am starting to suffer sleepless nights over our proposed design, and would appreciate some wisdom.  The Architects we are using have not really made much comment about the fact that we are just inside an AONB.   Although the designs we have put forward are smaller than the bungalow that was granted PP, the glaring issue that I see, and I might be mistaken, relates to the fact that we are building a property that has a lot of glass at the front and will be visible from the lane.  No properties look at the front, and you will only see it when you walk along the lane (no through) or drive up it.  As it is an AONB, my fear is that they will simply reject it on the basis that it has windows that you can now see from the lane.   When we submit the application, will we get any chance to make changes so as to try and address any issues.  We did think that we could instead, put 300mm windows at the front upstairs, and turn that into the landing, and then have the bedrooms looking out over the paddock at the rear.

The Architect doesn't seem too concerned about the amount of glass, but I am worried that he isn't that experienced on sensitive planning applications, and we could potentially be submitting something that will be refused by both the LPA and on appeal.  Below is the finalised design, and you cannot deny that there is a lot of glass upstairs that will be visible from the lane.  Although the ridge height remains the same as the bungalow, and we have shrunk the footprint by 60m2, I fear that it's the two storey with a lot of glass aspect, that is the killer.

 

Any advice on how best to proceed would be appreciated. 

[ToughButterCup]

Welcome to normality.

 

Dr Buttercup diagnoses LackOfControlitis: common among self builders.

 

Symptoms: sleeplessness, monomania, distraction, restlessness , anomie, periodic raised heart rate, irritable brain syndrome, BP 140 over 90 most days, over eating.

 

Cure: long distance running, sky diving, caving, rock climbing, toothache, base jumping, romantic weekend with partner, bog snorkeling, supper at @SteamyTea's place, a day in a deckchair watching @Pocster at work, bicycle trip to Sicily, shout down a volcano.

 

All available on the NHS

 

 

 

[DevilDamo]

@flanagaj Are you sure the LPA’s main issue may be converting a bungalow to a two storey dwelling? Surely adopting a more traditional frontage is likely to be more favourable?

 

LPA’s may be willing to accept changes if they are minor (usually those that could be dealt with via a NMA application). Otherwise, you’d have to go back through another Planning process. Assume you’ve already sought Pre-application advice?

[SteamyTea]

2 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

romantic weekend with partner,

Better with someone else's partner.

 

We are not open evenings, had 15 years of that. 

(expletive deleted)ing customers turning at at closing time, then when they leave say 'you can go home now'.

Apart from the hours cleaning.

[kandgmitchell]

1 hour ago, DevilDamo said:

Are you sure the LPA’s main issue may be converting a bungalow to a two storey dwelling? Surely adopting a more traditional frontage is likely to be more favourable?

I have to say that would be my concern as well. Out of the 8 surrounding properties only 1 is two storey, all the others are 1.5 or single storey. Planning is always a game of tactics, you have to push your opponent as far as you think they will go. However I've never found the approach of "ask for far more than you want in the first place" to be very successful, it usually ends up costing more in time and money and can create issues if refusals close off useful directions of design.

 

As an aside we have full height, nearly full width glazing in the second bedroom overlooking the lane. Great views, but that's in as well as out and I've noticed guests tend to leave the curtains closed most of the time.......

[Russell griffiths]

Why not talk to a planning consultant, does your architect have the experience in difficult cases, or do they just draw pretty pictures. 
 

I used an architect for pretty pictures and a planning consultant for the application, a lot of consultants come from a local government background. 
ours certainly did and secured an on site meeting to discuss what we wanted and what the planning officer didn’t like, after an hour we had reached a bit of common ground, re drew a few aspects and it went through, first time. 
 

we had been told it would be highly unlikely to achieve planning on our plot. 

[joe90]

Trying to second guess planners is a non starter in my opinion, apply for what YOU want and be prepared for compromise. Yes dealing with planners can be frustrating and frankly it’s a game (to them). I ended up with four applications but Won on appeal for my original application whilst I started building number four which the planners granted.