RIBA partnering with the Portal to promote Smarter Planning
The RIBA has just announced that it is partnering with us to promote our Smarter Planning initiative to architects.
If you’d like to know more about their take on this please read their practice bulletin or if you’d like more information from us see my earlier post or visit the Smarter Planning pages on the Portal.
In the last week or so more than 200 businesses and Local Authorities have registered their interest in the scheme.
Planning Portal Blog 
Nick. Are you at the Planning Portal able to clarify the regulations relating to the fitting out of an existing domestic garage/carport as an annexe. Just a bedroom, sitting room and wetroom involved. No kitchen as all food preparation and dining will be done in the main house. I feel that such aproposal should be possible under permitted evelopment rights which view is supported by documentation put out by South Somerset Council a couple of years ago bu my local planners appear to disagree. I’ll lok forward to having your advice.
Kind regards
Barry Mercer
Barry, if your comment is directed at me the name’s Chris.
I can’t comment on individual applications, but I have asked colleagues for advice on the policy related aspects of your question.
I’ll be back in touch as soon as I hear from them.
Surely this depends a) on whether permitted development rights have or have not been removed as part of a previous planning consent and b) whether there is sufficient car parking on site to correlate to the number of bedrooms for the enlarged house. If the house becomes 3 or 4 bedrooms with the converted garage, and there is only one parking place, then it will not be permitted development, nor will it comply with local policy.