Certificate of lawfulness for Porch replacement

[tokyotecubate]

Hello all,

 

We are planning to demolish our existing porch due to subsidence, and is planning to put a new replacment porch. 

 

The design of the new replacement porch will follow the exact requirements outlined for permitted development ( <3m2 in area, less than 3m in height, our house is no where near a boundary of a highway), however, it will follow a relatively modern design ( brick wall with a glass entrance door set), rather than the traditional edwardian porch that was in place. ( our property is an edwardian property). Please see attached old and new proposed porch. 

 

From what I know, as long as the porch falls within permitted development, then we should be able to go ahead and start the building work, but of course, it is always safe to get a certificate of lawfulness.

 

We had done an extensive renovation and had obtained all planning permission and permitted development consent from the council prior to us starting work - from our experience of dealing with the council, we realized that the planning officers are extremely conservative in our council ( we have had a previous submission for permitted development for the loft refused based on their opinion that our glass pane is too big!)

 

I worry that, shall we were to submit for permitted development with the council, we could get rejected again for some silly reason, and that would meant a lot of pushback to our project schedule in completing the renovation, and moreover making it hard to build the porch design that we like, even though it complete falls under the permitted development guidelines. 

 

Since the porch is such a relatively small thing, and given that the existing external door will still be in place behind the porch, would you say that we would need a certificate of lawfulness for this? Will this be something that would be required when we sell our property down the line? 

 

One thing worth to note - our area is subject to consultation to become a conservation area, so it might also be worth to get the certificate in case it does become a conservation area? 

 

If you were me - would you go through the trouble to submit for permitted development with the council, or just go ahead and build it? 

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

[DevilDamo]

You don’t submit for PD. You submit a CoL to to confirm the works are PD.

 

Retaining the door behind doesn’t have anything to do with Planning. That’s Building Regulations.

 

If you submit a CoL now, it’ll be cheaper than doing it during or later. If you don’t, just make sure you document and/or photograph the works with date stamps so they can be used and referred to in the future.

 

My opinion would be submit the CoL but don’t let that hold you up from starting. Then before you know it, the decision letter will come through and all is well.