Should there be planning permission or building regs for extension?

[Tigerblue]

We're in the process of buying a house. The lounge has a small extension on the back of it (approx. 9ftx10ft) and has a flat roof. It looks as if the opening between the lounge and new extension is the same as before except the patio doors have been removed, so don't think any supporting lintel would have been disturbed.

Have tried emailing the Council who tell me I'll have to make an application to determine if permission was originally needed (they want full plans drawn up). With regards to building regs, the Council have said these may or may not have been required depending on year built. Our solicitor is asking if vendors know when built, but they themselves only moved in in 2010. We're guessing it wasn't an issue in 2010, but vendors may not have thought to bring it up.

Does anyone think planning permission or building regs may have been required. In the case of building regs, what would they be looking to cover for something like this.

Final searches are due back at top of chain this week and this is the only thing holding up chain.

You may have inadvertently opened a can of worms by not speaking to vendor first. Now you know that there aren't any your solicitor cannot get indemnity insurance against retrospective enforcement to cover you. If the vendor has one from when they bought they could pass it on to you. It may well have fallen within permitted development rights, so avoid pp, but buildings regs may have been required for the external wall reinforcement and FENSA or similar for windows.

Thanks. Our solicitor has shown us the results of all searches carried out. The search show other improvements have consent, but not extension so I thought the obvious people who could help me ascertain what's required would be the Council.

You do need to tell your solicitor you have approached the council. It would not necessarily come up on standard searches especially if carried out many years ago. You may yet be lucky and the vendor has some paperwork to cover it, if required.

Planning permission is pass enforcement period if built prior to 2010 so it doesn't matter either way.

However, unless it's a conservatory it almost certainly needs building control approval. I would be worried about the safety of the structure and electrics if there is no paperwork.

Regards,

Hayley