As a foreigner living in England, I didn’t have a clue as to whether I needed planning permission for a loft conversion, so I sought advice from a planning consultant, John from Discount Plans Ltd, who I found on the Nextdoor app. While his architectural studio covers the whole of London, they have dealt with a large number of projects in east London, particularly Redbridge.
John told me that I needed planning permission for a loft conversion in my flat as the permitted development rights do not apply to flats. He also advised me that my drawings had to follow the guidance in the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) produced by Redbridge Council. Each council adopts different planning policies, so you should read the SPD produced by your local council.
Redbridge Council adopts a strict planning policy for loft conversions:
Dormer windows or roof extensions must remain subordinate within the roof slope. Rear dormers should be symmetrically located and be at least 0.5m below the ridge of the roof, 1m above the eaves and set in 1m from shared boundary and from the edge of the roof (0.5m from the edge for hipped roofs)
(London Borough of Redbridge, Housing Design Supplementary Planning Document Adopted September 2019)
To my great disappointment, I can’t have a full dormer for my loft. However, John suggested seeking pre application advice from the council, which considers each development on its merits. (I still don’t know what this means…) As part of my submission, I had John prepare a Design and Access Statement, which explains the proposal in a structured way. He spent a week creating a very detailed statement. At the same time, his draughtsman prepared my Building Regulation drawings.
The dormer was designed to be set away from shared boundary by 800mm as opposed to 1m from shared boundary as indicated in Redbridge SPD.
As pre application advice, the council concluded that the proposed design was acceptable. I paid the council a whopping fee of £175 (as of 2021) to get their pre application advice, but I think it was worth it as I was able to confidently apply for planning permission with the proposed design.
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