We recently submitted two storey extension plans for informal feedback from the planners and the planners have said that in order to support our application we need to reduce the height / width by a metre both ways (to make it more subservient to the existing house) - but we're not hobbits, if the upstairs was a metre smaller then the windows would be halfway down the wall and we wouldn't be able to walk to the end of the extension without ducking our heads let alone get any normal sized furniture in - it would be impractical and it would probably look ridiculous from the outside.
Most of our neighbours have extended but because they did so under much older planning guidelines the main planning officer say's that the neighbours extensions aren't relevant and it seems appeals are largely unsuccessful around here.
Any ideas / suggestions?