UKH

Hi,

Hoping someone here can advise - accepting usual caveats!

We moved into a new-build house last year which doesn't have windows in either the downstairs toilet or the family bathroom above it. The developers have said that we can put them in, but we need to obtain planning permission before they will give their consent, so I'm going through the application at the moment.

They don't fall into permitted development rights due to the age of the house and the size, configuration and location we want - they are on the side elevation.

Building regulations mean we are limited on size if we want opening ones (which we do) due to the distance between our house and the boundary being <1m - our house and next door are mirror images and about 1.3m apart.

I am therefore attempting to submit a householders planning application, but not sure I'm doing the right thing, as it's asking for a list of mandatory documents, amongst which are a "biodiversity survey and report" which seems overkill for what we are asking. I may be able to get a copy of that from the developers, though.

Can anyone advise, please - even if it's to suggest where to get the templates from for these.

Thanks,

In reply to LastBoyScout:

You won’t need a biodiversity survey for a couple of window openings. Are you applying through the Planning Portal? They should tell you all the information you need to supply.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Building Control approval rather than planning permission 

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Hi

I second what Mick Brinks says above.

I always find the planning portal quite helpful and you should be able to find out what you require for validation of your application. A bio-diversity survey doesn't seem like it would be required.

The interactive house is also a useful tool (link below - you may have already seen this) and can point you in the direction of additional info / resources.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200125/do_you_need_permission/90/inte...

In either case, a quick phone call to your local planning department to speak with one of the Planning Officers would be useful. They should be able to provide you with the correct application form and will tell you exactly what you need to submit.

All the best.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

You could just get some air freshener 

In reply to EdS:

No, if it’s not covered by PD rights, he will need both.
 

Planning Portal is pretty good, but I second trying to speak to someone in the planning department, the dream that does the validation will be able to tell you exactly what you will need to submit.

In reply to Mick Brinks:

I wouldn't have thought so, either, but I'm applying through the Planning Portal and that's what it's saying my local planning authority require.

In reply to RJML:

Thanks, but I've already been through the interactive house and the problem is that it's a side elevation and the advice seems to be conflicting, depending on where you look. There's one area that says that I definitely do need planning permission because of various factors including the height above floor and the fact we want it to open.

I've tried phoning the local planning dept on a couple of occasions and they won't give me any advice at all unless I apply for pre-app advice and pay for it.

In reply to wilkie14c:

The rooms already have built-in extractor fans, but I object to having to turn the lights on every time someone needs to use the facilities.

In reply to wilkie14c:

If we’re in to offering unwanted advice...

OP: Given that the view is just of another brick wall, have you considered alternatives?  For ventilation install a mechanical ventilation heat recovery fan such as a KAir, and for ambience, have a fake window fitted just to the inner half of the cavity wall, with slatted wooden shutters across it, and some colour programmable LED illumination casting soft light onto a diffuse white background behind the shutters.  This does a convincing job of looking like a window, only with nice colours you can link to the time of day rather than a drab brick wall.

OP: Edit: Jinx - my post crossed with yours explaining the motivation.  

In reply to wintertree: As a retired Building Inspection Manager I can give you some advice on the regulations but I guess you would also need planning permission too because you are not replacing existing windows. As they are both bathrooms, privacy shouldn't be an issue as they will both have opaque glazing units.

The Building Regulations requires that the new windows in the gable of your property, will have to comply with Part B (fire regulations) so as not to cause fire spread between the adjacent properties. Yes, I know that developers like to squeeze their homes as close as possible.

This document should help. Specifically, page 9 onwards regarding unprotected areas between buildings. If the builder agrees to install these additional windows then it is he, the installer, who needs to satisfy Building Control. However, if the work is done after handover, then the responsibility lies with you.

https://www.nhbc.co.uk/binaries/content/assets/nhbc/tech-extra/2018/technic...

In reply to cenotaphcorner:

Thanks, that's a very helpful document.

I've already spoken to someone in building control and the advice there was that because the houses are <1m from the boundary line, we're limited to 1m2 in total

We basically fall into 2C on page 10, as they are different rooms, but then you have to factor in situation B on page 13 - although that still suggests that we could have 2 windows up to 1m2 each.

In practice, though, we're pretty much limited to 2 windows 0.9m x 0.6m (0.54m2 each) due to the layout of the 2 rooms - and that matches the existing en-suite on the other side of the house.

In reply to RJML:

"In either case, a quick phone call to your local planning department to speak with one of the Planning Officers would be useful" <-- this

In reply to LastBoyScout:

It's almost certainly cheaper to do some rewiring to put the fans on their own switches than fit new windows.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Have you thought of a sun tunnel skylight for the upstairs bathroom. They let in a surprisingly large amount of light.

In reply to Toerag:

Doesn't solve the light issue, but thanks for thought.

In reply to Wise:

Doesn't solve the ventilation issue, but thanks for the thought.

From the ones I have seen, I get the impression they get dirty and are hard to clean, too.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

After 18 months we've not had to clean ours, it's on a low roof so easy to access if required. It would be a different story on a full height roof I guess.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Make your mind up! You don't want people turning on the lights to use the toilet, but you don't want a separately wired extractor fan because it'd be too dark... 🙂

Perhaps a mirror in a sunny part of the house angled towards the bidet?

In reply to LastBoyScout:

as others have said, you likely won't need a biodiversity survey and it'll be a fairly standard 'one size fits all' checklist for the planning application. I suspect not all of it will be applicable.

With regards your building regulations, you're correct in the sense that you're limited on opening windows due to the proximity of the relevant boundary - I assume it's halfway at 650mm. You can find more information in Approved Document B (Vol. 1) under Requirement B4 for help you size your windows - there's a very handy diagram. Those documents are free on Planning Portal and Local Gov websites.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Genuinely surprised that building control allows a bathroom without a window! Never heard of this. Crazy!