Porch Extension

[LJJ100]

We are semi detached and both have porches adjacent to each other - they sit flush with the house and are recessed back.

Our neighbours have recently applied for planning for a side and rear extension which has been approved (no issues here) but there is nothing about building and extending the porch and this has suddenly arisen as we are finalising the party wall agreement.

I have a couple of questions -

1 - Should they have planning as they are building it on the boundary?
2 - Does the sqm footage have to include the existing porch?
3 - Do we have any say in how it looks etc...

As you can see from the image the yellow is the existing porches (we are 25) and they want to bring their porch out almost flush with the front edge of the house which would block a lot of light out (already our hallway is very dark), cause a bit of a tunnel effect for us getting to our front door and potentially not look particularly aesthetically pleasing...

Any advice welcome - thank you

Some porch development can be done under permitted development, beyond that needs planning.
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/porches/planning-permission

Building a wall on, or immediately adjacent, to the boundary should have a party wall agreement before commencing work. Are the putting in a wall / glass? Or is it just a roof?

Thank you for your response.

It looks like it will be a brick built porch (so a wall to the left as we walk to our front door) with a pitched roof rafter.

Thank you for the link with regards to point 3 - no part of the porch would be within two metres of any boundary of the dwellinghouse and the highway.

By dwelling house do they mean our house? If so then surely it would need plannng?

thanks

If they are extending beyond the building line at the front they usually need pp.

I’d look to see if the builder could do mine at the same time for a discount 🤣

What about you get your porch extended as well? You’d want a sky light though in your porch roof.

As the new porch is projecting further towards the road than the existing porch, planning permission would be required (even if it isn't in front of the main front wall).
Also, all permitted development has to be within the boundary of the property being extended, so if the porch side wall is on the boundary line (so some of it will be on your property) planning permission is also required.

Unfortunately there's not much you can do at this stage beyond telling your NDN that you think PP is required. The Council can't get involved until either a planning application is received (when you would be able to comment on appearance etc), or work commences without planning permission being in place when you would be able to report it to the Council.

A pitched roof is likely to be over 3m from ground level so check that.
Party wall notice needed for the wall to be built against the boundary.

I don't think the 3d point is relevant, the wording is clumsy. It means you cannot use permitted development if the porch would be within 2m of the public highway boundary. It does not mean neighbour boundaries.

Is the porch extension on the approved plans ?
Could you afford to get yours extended at the same time ? If the builders are already doing there’s then it might not cost too much.
You could put a skylight or just a flat closed window in the porch roof which would give you more light in.
Also having a glazed door where your existing front door is would give you a space for shoes etc when you first come in and the extra door will help keep the heat in but allowing light to come in too.

Thanks for your responses...

We have discussed doing the same but we don't need the space and we don't really want to spend money on this when we are saving for a new kitchen!

We already have glass porch doors and main front door but it is north facing so is dark regardless and this will just make it even darker as what little light we do get will disappear.

The porth isn't on the original plans submitted for planning approval. They have added them afterwards and said they don't need planning. The porch they are planning is to be 4.6sqm but incorporates the existing porch that currently looks like it is part of the house. Neighbours who have the same style house have their porch 'open' but covered as it sits within the house.

Wondering if I can get the council to review the permitted development based on loss of light and not in keeping with the rest of the houses that look the same.. anyone know?

thanks

Permitted development criteria are published and the council can only work to those rules for any enforcement.
It is not totally clear from your description but looks like the NEW area may be within what is allowed in terms of floor area.

But what about height? The new roof has to be below 3m from ground level to be permitted development.

PD is PD - determined by national legislation. Councils can't change it like that.

I think it is probably too big for a porch under pd - it appears to be more than double the existing so would exceed the 3 SQM allowed.

It can still be considered under the general extension pd regs, but as I said earlier, as it is projecting forward, it can't be pd under that section of the regs.

There isn't really anything you can do until they start building it and then you can report to the Council for them to check.