Side extension on a corner plot

[mrsmcnoodles]

I've recently put an offer in on a house that is a dooer upper with the view to putting a single storey wrap around extension on the back and a two storey extension on the side. As it stands the house is too small to be our family home so would need extending for us to be able to live in it.
I was made aware by a relative who lives in the street that someone previously put an offer in but withdrew after finding out they couldn't get planning permission to extend out to the side. I contacted the estate agent to ask if this was the case and was advised that the person who dealt with the original buyer was on holiday and there was nothing in the file other than they withdrew after 4 days which wouldn't be time to find out about permission. I've tried to contact my local council but they've asked me to submit plans for pre approval and given me a really complicated form to fill in. I don't own the house yet so not sure if this can even be done and I can't ring them due to everyone working from home site to covid.
I'm waiting for the sales advisor to come back off her holiday to see what she says about the original buyer but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone had any advice on whether extending to the side is likely to be an issue? The more I Google it, the more confused I'm becoming. I don't really want to buy a house to find it was never going to be possible in the first place. I've attached a photo, the house with the dot is the one in question. Thanks.

[positivelynegative]

Contact a local architect.

[AnnieMaul]

Can you check the councils planning portal online for evidence of an application? Our local council has all prior planning applications and related documentation (objections, neighbour comments, plans etc) online for public viewing. If so you can then see on what grounds planning was denied. It may be that they had outlandish ideas or plans for something that may not fit in with the current surroundings.

[mrsmcnoodles]

@anniemaul Thanks. I've had a look online and there's been no applications for that house. I just find it a bit strange that this info has come from the vendor to a neighbour and then onto my relative. It could be a case of someone getting mixed messages perhaps as other houses in the street have been extended so not sure why that one would be different.

[mrsmcnoodles]

@positivelynegative good idea. It's probably worth paying a small amount for advice than for a whole house if my ideas aren't feasible.

[hgaj]

It looks like almost all the other houses have been extended so would seem odd that you'd be rejected. There will be limits on size so maybe the previous buyer wanted something big or just got scared of the additional costs. It would also be worth reading the planning applications of neighbouring houses and checking its not in a conservation area.

[PickAChew]

If it's not on the portal then there's some tall tales going on.

The only objection I can envisage there is road visibility - the house opposite has done it, though, so it's clearly not that big an issue (though heck, they could have tried to make the roof tiles match better!) The house you are interested in has more land between it and the road than the house opposite, anyhow.

Even if you can't extend much to the side, there is lots of space to the rear, which potentially gives you more options.

[7to25]

There will be a "building line for the street running top to bottom. I'm thinking that an extension could breech this, even though the house is facing another street?

[Seeline]

I suspect the previous buyer might just have had an informal chat with a planner who could have indicated that it might not be straight forward.

I think the issue will be the two storey element on the side. THe other two corner plots seem to have had side extensions, but I think only single storey. I think there may be concerns about the visual impact of a two storey addition on the streetscene in the road running alongside the property for sale.

HAve a look at the Council website for the other two corner properties - you should be able to see whether they originally applied for two storey extensions, or went straight for single storey.