Mike Dade
Regulations change frequently – so projects you couldn’t have taken on a few years ago are possible today. Homes can now be created from ex-commercial premises. Designed by Phillips Tracey (
www.phillipstracey.com) this threebedroom house replaces an old doctor’s surgery. To adhere to planning restrictions on changes to the street view, the home was set back from the highway and hidden behind the remnants of an old brick wall
Knowing the history of a site, or a property for conversion, will give you a good indication of how any future planning applications will fare. Many plots have a chequered history – with past refusals and maybe even appeals – and you need to know about this to make an informed decision before you make a purchase.
If you are buying somewhere that already has planning permission, and you want to build the project that’s been granted approval, then none of this really matters. But most people will want to put their own mark on a home, tweaking or completely changing the design or layout to suit their own requirements. So, if this is the case, what’s the best way to approach a plot or building with a chequered history? If you are contemplating buying a plot without planning permission, aside from the usual cautions, a thorough understanding of the history, policy and how policy is applied locally is essential.