I’ve posted the original floorplans already so please refer to that page if you need some context.
These are my current intentions anyway.
- Downstairs, I’d like to knock down the outbuildings (which are single brick thick with a tin roof) and build a single storey extension with a ‘lean to’ roof.
- This would create an ‘open plan’ kitchen / dining / living room
- I’d like to incorporate a downstairs loo (ideally with a shower in it)
- As boiler is currently housed in one of the outbuildings that would have to be incorporated into the extension somehow as well.
- Upstairs, I’d like to reconfigure the bathroom
- Knock down the wall between the bathroom and toilet (assuming there is a separate downstairs loo).
- Remove the hot water cylinder and square-off the little bedroom in order to incorporate a separate shower into the bathroom.
- I’d like to put a driveway in
- The tree won’t be allowed to be felled (it’s not registered but they have more rights than people here)
- The oil tank has to stay where it is (it’s the best place for it)
- I’d like to keep the gate and the path up to the front door (it matches next door’s).
The house is in a conservation area but it isn’t one of ‘precious’ buildings of the area – those are the 12th century Abbey, the old Mill, the Church and the Hall and I can understand the need to conserve them but I reckoned a solitary pair of post-war semis would basically be shrugged at by the planning department. The other semi has a single storey extension and in 2004 was granted planning permission for a driveway but never implemented it – due it it having changed use several times in the past the houses are no longer mirror images either.
However, after having a meeting with planning department it turned out my assumptions were slightly off the mark – rather than the philosophy being that those houses weren’t really worth conserving, instead it’s felt that they have a negative impact on the conservation area and nothing should be done which may make that worse. Hrmph. Anyway, it’s probably not that bad, they weren’t keen on a two storey extension but after some deliberation I wasn’t really either – a lean-to extension would be preferable to the current flat roofed outbuildings so they are encouraging that. There’s only the driveway which might be a problem, since next door were granted permission the conservation policy has gotten stricter and… well, I just hope the wall isn’t too precious.