Heard this on Radio 4 this a.m. Delighted to hear I can extend up to 26ft (IIRC) without PP. Now, what will the neighbours at the end of my (fictitious) 23ft garden think?

Posted By: TriassicFor a limited period, people will be allowed to build larger extensions on houses, with shops and offices able grow to the edges of their premises.

Is it just me or does this seem entirely arbitrary and unfair? I could understand a considered decision to allow larger extensions (not sure whether I would personally support it, but I could understand it) but just making a temporary relaxation seems irrational. Firstly because it only benefits whichever group of people happen to be in a position to take advantage. Secondly because there's an obvious incentive to rush to build a large extension while the chance is there. Which will lead to quite a few extensions that are awfully designed and built in the rush. It will also lead to some extensions that are unnecessary but just built because "we have to build now in case we do need it when the rules are back in force". I suspect it will also lead more local authorities to remove GPD rights on more planning permissions, in order to counter the relaxation.

I hope that some enquiring newspaper hound will keep a close eye on which politicians and their friends take advantage of this temporary opportunity to exploit the system. Any bets which party will score highest?

YOMPP? (Yes, on my patio, please - invitation from the neighbour at the end of your short back yard for you to build an 8m extension!)

It seems to me in the housing market if the problem is that very few first time buyers can afford to buy and this means the purchasing chain is so blocked then removing the requirement for affordable housing is not going to help. Surely it needs the opposite.

Maybe the government should require more affordable housing and purchase the houses themselves. Then rent them out putting a % of the rent to one side to act as the deposit after say 5 years should the occupants want to buy.

Jonti

Building here at the moment a friend of mine must have 100mm partial cavity fill, 200mm in the floor and Lord only knows in the loft. With the current Welsh standards they estimate that it costs around £40,000 extra to build to current regs. If some help was available then that might start some builds off. This covers bird boxes and additional £400 surveys to larger washing lines......

Given your other thread, Gusty, maybe you could use the new '8m rule' to build an extensin over your new neighbour's land!

be interested in seeing the details.
Planners in my area seem happy to allow domestic shanty getto developement and seem to have no power of proactive enforcement , but raise your head above the parapet and make an application and they'll put all the hurdles in the way they can think of.

more planning apps = greater income from fees for LA

It wouldn't surprise me if this became permanent, together with an overall relaxtion of planning generally. Not a good time to be employed in the planning department of a council. What is lost in this though is that the benefit gained by a single individual can be at the expense of all his/her neighbours. I am lucky to live in an area where most of the neighbours have room to build a 8m extension, but it would be a blight on the area if they all went ahead and did it. We have building control (which I assume isn't being relaxed), so the benefit of planning rules and guidelines is for the community - this could easily be lost.

Its relaxing here in Wales to so we will see what happens. You would still need to be in a fortunate position with money available, sat in a very poor account and also have the inclination to spend all your hard earnt cash in uncertain times. My mistake, the banks will give us all the cash we need and off we go building, just like old times....

Nick...:bigsmile

Tony....If you cannot understand whats going on you shoul be a politician

Hmmm, I would imagine when all goes back to normal you would have made lots of friends in the local planning department by bypassing them and if all developers can bypass then close the poorly performing department as it is clearly not needed. That would be Ceredigion gone.

Posted By: RogerThe relaxations sound like a Charter for Fred West's.

Quite right Roger! Anyone who has built or helped to build an extension should be arrested on suspicion of being a mass murder.

Nice to see someone bringing a well judged and sound opinion to this thread

Jonti

They're now on the first floor.

Posted By: gustyturbineWhat about patio's" alt="" src="http:///forum114/extensions/Vanillacons/smilies/standard/confused.gif" >

No Gustyturbine,

you want to build something more substantial on top of all those dead bodies