Harpenden Conservation Area

[b1e1n1]

Considering a move to Harpenden, to a house in need of modernisation in the conservation area. I'm consulting the deeds and researching planning dept etc, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience/knowledge of making change to the front of a property and the likelihood of getting planning permission (assuming changes are in keeping with the general feel)? I know you need permission for a wall/gate if it's adjacent to the road/pavement - is that straightforward or something they look at quite closely. We'd need to secure the front garden for kids/dogs etc. What about a freestanding car port and decking to the front (it's south facing)? We just don't want to buy and then find ourselves going through lots of painful planning applications...

Hi OP. I live in a conservation area where any changes to the front of a property require full planning. We are in the midst of building work right now- converting one garage to a study, building extra bedrooms to the side of the property (that will change the front elevation), replacing all windows etc. Planning permission was quite painless and other than insisting on the new Windows being made from timber (we wanted UPVC) they've been reasonable. However, on the flip side, a house at the other end of the road was told they couldn't even put gates up at the front of their property (this was after they'd had both cars nicked off their driveway!).
If I were in your shoes, I'd see if I could have a chat with a conservation officer (NOT general planning) to get a feel for what work may be in/out of bounds- but they're unlikely to give you anything definitive until you submit plans I'm afraid.

From experience, the St Albans planning dept won't give any informal guidance - they simply say they can't comment until they have seen plans/the planning application. It's a real frustration when you just want some informal guidance over whether you need to go through the planning process at all.

I think what will be allowed depends on where in the conservation area you are looking at, but can say from experience that a carport will require full planning, as will anything which changes the character of the front of the building (so changes to windows or the front door, side extensions etc.). That's not to say you won't get permission, but it may depend on the rest of the street scene. Looking at what the surrounding houses have done is a good guide as to what you are likely to be able to do.

That's really useful advice. Thanks. Will try and get the details for the conservation area. I suspected this might be the case and I'm worried about not being able to secure the front...

Presumably the conservation area doesn't affect what we do at the back (small 'garden room') or inside (moving kitchen to front of property)? Would you even need to request permission for something like that?

Interesting about the timber windows, will bear that in mind. I don't suppose you'd privately share your price for windows - that is making me a bit nervous too!

Thanks again!

You might find this helpful: Harpenden Conservation Area.

Usually simply being in a conservation area doesn't affect what you do inside the building. A garden room at the back shouldn't be affected by conservation area rules either but you might need planning (in the same way as if you were outside the conservation area).

Hi Op. you can remodel inside until your heart's content and as the poster above has said, anything round the back will not be assessed by conservation, just planning (if what you want to do falls outside the boundaries of permitted development). E.g. We are actually having UPVC flush casement windows (e.g. 'Posh' UPVC!) and aluminium bifolds at the rear- no problem.
Timber windows, sigh! Luckily we should be able to restore our two large bays and two large windows- the solid oak frames are in good nick so it should be a case of having new, doubled glazed inserts joined in (we have leading diamonds on the current ones though so would need to copy that). The three new, smallish windows we need for the new, front-facing bit of the house will be at least a couple of grand each unfortunately.

We live in conservation area in a different local authority and the Council has made an Article 4 direction (suspending permitted development) for all elevations of a building for our area. Other roads have it for just the front elevation. We are currently crossing our fingers that we are allowed a sliding patio door at the back. So I would double check before assuming that you'll have permitted development rights, even at the back. That being said, they will accept some posh upvc!

I'm jealous of their stance on windows iam!

Apols - iate, damn my chubby fingers