Archived Entries
November 2008
Act now before it might be too late: How the latest changes to the Planning System may not be all good news
The recently announced changes to the planning system bring welcome relief for local authority planning staff and the general public alike. For the local authority, the changes mean that the number of residential planning applications they will have to deal with will drop, which is good news for many overstretched planning departments. Some commentators believe that countrywide, this will represent an annual drop of around 80,000 planning applications.
Quite often, residential applications can be contentious and provide an opportunity for neighbours to vent their spleen over past neighbour misdemeanours. For the general public, the changes mean less bureaucracy and less neighbour control over their expansionist plans. However, the changes may not be all good news in the long term. Under the current system, local planning authorities have to apply to the secretary of state to gain approval for the creation of an Article 4 direction. An Article 4 direction is a way that the local authority can control development that takes place in specific locations by removing permitted development rights. Permitted development rights are those rights which allow certain forms of extension or indeed alteration to be undertaken without the need for planning permission. Now however, the power to sanction Article 4 directions has been passed to local authorities. The ability to exercise this power and create new Article 4 directions may well impact upon what you may be able to carry out in the future. This means that in a year's time, the right to develop your home in the way afforded in the recent reform could be totally removed.
The good news is that if you live in an area likely to be considered for an Article 4 direction, your local authority will have to give you one year's notice of its intention to remove or amend permitted development rights. If you bought your house with the intention of extending it, act sooner rather than later.
For more information regarding your property and any applicable Article 4 direction, please consult with your legal representative who handled your property purchase or contact your local authority directly.
Originally posted 22 November 2008
How to Impress your Relatives without spending a fortune - 7 easy ways to improve your bathroom
With Christmas looming larger than my next utility bill, focus is turning toward the festivities and the task of hosting relatives who descend like a plague of locusts. In the days spent with me, they eat and drink me out of house and home and make barbed comments that the improvements I have been promising to undertake remain as untouched as the Christmas Day washing up.
Fear not, in this article entitled how to improve you home, we will consider imaginative ways of improving your bathroom without having to go to the costly expense of ripping it out and starting again.
Our first tip is don't despair. In most cases, a degree of imagination and inspiration will help rejuvenate that space. Setting aside the sanitary ware, which can often be costly, think about those elements, which can be replaced fairly readily and easily. By these, we mean the lights, taps, tiles, bath panel and colour scheme together with your toothpaste holder and towels for example.
Our six-point guide to a rejuvenated bathroom:
- Flooring:- If your floor covering is unattractive, have you thought about removing it and painting the floorboards or concrete which sit below?
- Taps:- An instant success is to replace the basin and bath taps together with the toilet flush handle. There are so many styles to choose from that you will quite literally be spoilt for choice. If you want to go for a contemporary look, the vogue is for brushed steel. If you live in a period property for example, why not visit your local architectural salvage yard. You will be surprised what bargains you can find there!
- Bath panels:- A bespoke bath panel can often set your bathroom apart from the rest. In choosing the next generation of panel, be sure to choose one that is not painted MDF (will often not stand up to repeated splashing) and that can be removed easily in order to access any pipe work hidden behind it.
- Mirror:- As we have done in our bathroom, how about completely mirroring one wall? This instantly creates a sense of space, light and openness. If you do opt for a full width mirror, do pay the extra fitting fee a glazier will charge as believe you me, screwing a 6 foot mirror to a tiled wall is not fun (particularly if you really don't know what you are doing). If you can't afford a new mirror or indeed are looking for something out of the ordinary, do visit your local second-hand shops or flea markets.
- Lighting:- In our recently refurbished bathroom, the use of inset spotlights has transformed the space. In place of a single ceiling rose, we have gone for 5 spot lights, one for the shower cubicle and 4 other spots. If you do choose this option, please remember not to place any directly over the bath, otherwise those relaxing soaks will be gone forever.
- Tiles:- Tiling the entire bathroom may be too expensive and therefore not an option. In that case, how about tiling small wall areas in order to provide visual contrast?
- Accessories:- Once the hard work is over, let your imaginative side take control and go for those colour co-ordinated accessories. Good quality towels in sophisticated colours can in their own way make the space. Add to this a few candles together with an unusual towel rail and you have created your very own sanctuary. One you will be proud of and be completed in time for the locusts!
Good News for the Housing Market?
The latest news to emanate from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) is that mortgage lending rose slightly in the month of October. Total lending rose to £18.7bn, 7% up from the previous month. However, to put this in context, lending in October was 44% lower than that in October last year, just before the sub prime debacle triggered the present mortgage drought.
Whilst consumer confidence may be bruised, property investors may not necessarily share the same sentiment. Do they know something we don't know?
Some estate agents have seen recent changes with the professional property developer returning to the scene snapping up properties that represent better value than a year ago for example. The reason for this is not clear but for those desperate to sell, this would represent hope and the first glimmers of a housing recovery.
Some expert commentators believe that the fall in mortgage lending may now have reached a trough. Certainly, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) pointed out that its own surveys had shown a recent increase in enquiries from potential new buyers. Whilst this may be so, the general belief is that house prices will continue to fall with some predicting a further 20% drop in 2009 after a likely fall of around 15% this year. With the festive season soon upon us, we are entering a quiet period with most sellers happy to wait until the New Year before marketing their property.
The future remains uncertain and we wait with baited breath upon the measures the Chancellor will introduce in his efforts to kick-start the economy. Fasten your seat belts; the roller coaster ride is not yet over!
Do I Need Planning Permission welcomes Theo Gray to the Advertisers Board
Do I Need Planning Permission today welcomes Theo Gray to the Advertisers Board. Theo will be maintaining this website and keeping it up to date.
Theo Gray looks after a number of websites for local businesses and charities (see his portfolio for details), and is also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. If you would like to find out about setting up your own website, or need your current site redesigned, please contact Theo Gray.
Imaginative Ways to Improve Your Kitchen
There is no denying that kitchens are at the heart of the modern home. Like most fads however, that early appeal of the recently installed state of the art kitchen can fade as quickly as an unwatered and unloved plant. As with many other home improvement, cost is a key factor. Fear not however, you may get the kitchen of your dreams at a fraction of the price if you imaginatively shop around.
- Have you thought of asking a local carpenter if they could replicate that kitchen look, the one you really want but cannot afford?
- Have you thought of buying low cost carcasses from the D-I-Y store and spending more on the door fronts?
- Why not keep your existing carcasses and simply replace the present doors?
- Worktops are often seen as a quick fix solution to either revitalise the existing or enhance the new kitchen.
- As with any improvement project, attention to final detail, can often enhance the scheme (and may not cost you the earth!). Quality tiles, taps and cooker hood can make your kitchen stand out from the rest...for all the right reasons!
The secret with any of the above is that they needn't cost the earth. Set yourself a budget and if you can, stick to it!
Purpose and Principal Changes
What was the purpose of changing the General Permitted Development Order?
- The first reason was to extend and clarify the scope of permitted development for householders. The hope is to make the system easier for all.
- Remove the need for a planning application in many cases. Presently, Local Planning Authorities who determine planning applications are inundated with planning applications for residential extensions. The result is a system which cannot cope and deadlines for determining applications not always met.
- To make clear what is and is not permitted.
Principal Changes
- The removal of volume limits for extensions other than roof extensions.
- The removal of the 5 metre rule for outbuildings.
- The introduction of new rules for laying of hardstanding.
- Introduction of new rules for chimneys, flues and soil vent pipes.
Conditions
Should you wish to carry out any alteration/extension work, you will need to make sure that:-
- Materials should match.
- Side facing, upper floor windows must be obscure glazed and non-opening unless opening part over 1.7 metres above floor level.
- Roof pitch of two-storey extensions to match that of the original dwellinghouse.
- Roof extensions should not encroach within 20cm of eaves of original roof (other than hip to gable roof extensions).
For more information, please read the section relevant to you.
Interpretation
"Principal Elevation" (of original house)
In most cases, the principal elevation will be the elevation fronting the main highway servicing the property and usually included as the property address. However, in certain circumstances this can be open to different interpretation for example where a property is bounded by more than one highway.
We however consider there can only be one principal elevation.
British Architecture Celebrated at the Royal Festival Hall
Despite the gloomy prospects of a looming recession, last night was an evening of celebration in the world of British Architecture. At a ceremony held at the Royal Festival Hall, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment celebrated those schemes which demonstrated a real commitment toward high quality design, good placemaking and sustainable development by awarding them the Building for Life Award.
What is Building for Life?
It is regarded as a way to assess the design quality of homes and neighbourhoods. In order for any scheme to succeed, it has to fulfil at least 14 out of the 20 Building for Life criteria which embody functional, attractive and sustainable housing. A successful scheme may have a distinctive character, good landscaping, open space in which children can play or streets that offer functional surfaces attractive to cars, cyclists and pedestrians alike.
Six of those 24 schemes which achieved Building for Life standard were outstanding enough to also be given the Building for Life Award. The schemes range from townhouses in Brighton to terraced housing in central London, and town-centre flats in Stockport and Sheffield.
More details of the prize winners can be found on the following:-
http://www.buildingforlife.org/case-studies?list=award2008
New Solar Initiative - sign up NOW
Last week, an exciting campaign to promote solar power in the UK was launched by Solar Aid and United Diversity. The campaign had the pre-launch backing of numerous politicians including: Greg Barker MP, Michael Meacher MP, Peter Hain MP, Nick Clegg MP, Steve Webb MP, Norman Baker MP, and Colin Challen MP, as well as Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, Solar Aid, Greenpeace, World Future Council, European PV Industry Association and the UK PV Manufacturers Group.
The Government's own research for the Renewable Energy Strategy indicates that solar PV can contribute at least 20 TWh per year to the 2020 renewable energy target (ie. more than the output of the proposed Severn Barrage), but this potential contribution to the very demanding target is simply ignored in the Government's current 2020 assumptions. We Support Solar aims to gather as much support from all sectors of society as possible to ensure the government recognises solar power as an important part of the UK renewable energy mix.
If you would also like to support the campaign publicly please sign up directly at WeSupportSolar.net
Greening the Nation
With rising fuel prices and the prospects of an economic downturn, the latest news to hit homeowners is that our homes are not green enough. Latest statistics show that Britain's housing stock is responsible for nearly 27% of the entire country's emissions of carbon dioxide. This does not come as a real surprise. I am sure we have all sat round at Aunt Nellie's house and experienced cold ankle syndrome caused by draughty houses. These stamina-building experiences, which will remain with us for the rest of our lives, could soon be a thing of the past. In this world of targets, are you aware that by 2016 all new homes will have to meet zero-carbon standards? However, this is only the start. By 2050, the country will be required to have reduced carbon emissions by a staggering 80%. In order to realistically get anywhere near meeting this target, attention is beginning to turn to the existing housing stock and what can be done to reduce their contribution to carbon dioxide emissions.
Did you know that last month, the Prime Minister took the first step toward achieving this target by making cavity wall insulation ad loft insulation available half-price to every household and free to the poor and pensioners.
There is no doubt that we all feel a moral obligation to doing our bit for the environment. However, how many of us have wanted to make that life-changing move but have been stumped by the initial cost of installing solar panels or a wind turbine for example?
Here at least are a few ways we may attempt to green our houses:-
- Installing a biomass-burning boiler would cost between £5,000 and £10,000 to install but can produce up to £1,000 worth of energy and save up to 6 tons of carbon dioxide compared to a traditional boiler.
- Wind turbines can help meet your energy bills but are the subject of planning controls and can cost anything form £1,500 to £5,000 to install albeit grants may be available. Further information on where are available will follow suit.
- Did you know that it is now possible to purchase triple-glazed windows and are more efficient than the traditional double-glazed windows?
- If you have a river or indeed a stream running through your property, technology in the form of a hydro turbine can harness this natural energy. Whilst the capital outlay for such a system is between £4,000 and £10,000, hydro turbines are considered efficient in that approximately 90% of the water's energy can be converted into electricity.
- Extracting heat from the ground is not reserved purely for the realms of science fiction. Again, whilst the initial outlay is not cheap, for between £6,000 and £12,000, you can purchase a system which extracts heat from the ground and can generate up to £1,000 worth of electricity a year.
If the above are eye watering and are not financially within reach, there are measures we can all implement today:-
- We can begin by putting on another layer of clothing and turning the thermostat down a degree.
- Make sure the loft is well insulated and if it is not, seek out the subsidised offer that the Prime Minister is putting forward.
- Use energy efficient light bulbs and when changing your white goods, try and buy "A" rated goods.
- Avoid leaving gadgets on standby
- Keep a bucket by the sink and shower and use the water we would other wise waste whilst waiting for the tap to run hot for flushing the toilet with.
