WRAPAROUND EXTENSION
KINGSTANDING, NORTH BIRMINGHAM.

Anerley Grove, Birmingham, B44 9QH..

Approved Householder Application for a wrap around single storey extension.

Introduction

Following initial discussion with the client iit was decided to apply for a single storey wrap around extension to the side and rear to allow for a new home office and gym to the side with a downn stairs WC included and a new kitchen extension to the rear to for the family to use.

The application Site

The application property is a modern end terraced dwelling house. The property is designed with a hipped roof and has been previously extended with a lean-to style extension. The rear of the property is enclosed by 1.8m high fencing with some along the boundary with No. 8. The surrounding properties are of a similar age and design.

The History of Kingstanding

Kingstanding is a district located in the north of Birmingham, England. Its history can be traced back to ancient times, although its development into a modern urban area began in the 19th century. Here's an overview of the history of Kingstanding. The area where Kingstanding now stands has evidence of ancient settlement, including Roman remains. It was part of the medieval manor of Erdington and consisted mainly of farmland and woodland. In the early 19th century, Kingstanding remained a rural area with a few scattered cottages. However, with the expansion of Birmingham's industrialization, there was a growing need for housing outside the city center. The development of railways in the area played a crucial role in opening up the region for urbanization. The transformation of Kingstanding accelerated in the early 20th century when the urbanization of Birmingham reached the district. In 1928, the City of Birmingham purchased 1,000 acres of land to create the Kingstanding Estate, which was intended to provide affordable housing for the working class. After World War II, Kingstanding experienced further growth as the city's population increased, and there was a demand for more housing. The Kingstanding Estate expanded, and additional residential areas were developed. The district attracted a mix of families and young professionals. Kingstanding underwent various social and economic changes over the years. The district has seen fluctuations in population and has faced challenges related to unemployment and poverty. However, community initiatives and investments have been made to improve the quality of life for residents. In recent years, Kingstanding has continued to evolve. Redevelopment projects have taken place, aimed at improving infrastructure, enhancing community facilities, and regenerating the area. The district has a mix of residential properties, retail spaces, schools, and parks, catering to the needs of its residents. Today, Kingstanding is a vibrant suburban area within Birmingham, offering a range of amenities and services to its population. Its history reflects the broader story of urbanization and social change in England during the 19th and 20th centuries.

The name of the area is derived from the occasion when the Stuart King Charles I supposedly reviewed his troops standing on the Neolithic Bowl Barrow in the area on 18 October 1642 during the English Civil War, after his stay at nearby Aston Hall. The first references to Kingstanding were as King's Standing. The first of the estates was completed in 1934. It was during the 1930s and 1940s that most of the current housing was built. Most of the houses in Kingstanding were built as council houses in the north of the area. At the time, it was the largest council housing development in Europe, containing some 6,700 properties on its completion.

A map of the Kingstanding estate from 1930 shows the ‘Kingstanding estate falling within an area bordered by Hawthorne Rd, College Rd cutting across to Kings Road including Gainford Rd but not Elizabeth Rd, and from Kings Rd to Rough Rd including Bendall Rd and Hartley Rd. The map can be found at Birmingham Central Library no 425364 map draw 135. Use the interactive map for a view of the estate. The word ‘Warren Farm Estate’ can be used interchangeably with the Kingstanding estate and the term Warren farm estate is used in minutes of the Public works and Town and Country Planning Committees of Birmingham City Council.

Planning Assessment

The planning application was submitted to Birmingham City Council and Planning Approval was subsequently granted for this bespoke home extension that augments the existing accommodation and allows flexible accommodation that can respond to the changing needs of the family.

The main issues for consideration are the scale and design of the proposed development as well as the impact on the amenities of the occupiers of the neighbouring properties. The scale and design of the proposed front, side and rear extensions are acceptable and meet the general principles contained in the design guide ‘Extending your Home’. The proposal would not result in a detrimental impact on the character or appearance of the application or wider street scene. The proposed development complies with the distance separation guidelines contained in ‘Places for Living’ and ‘Extending your Home’.

Whats is the 45 degree code?

The 45 Degree Code is one of the factors that the Council will take into account when determining your planning application. If you follow the code, it should lead to a quicker and more favourable decision.

The 45 Degree Code is used when the Council looks at planning applications for new buildings and extensions to existing properties which might affect the outlook from or daylight to a nearby house or flat. The Code aims to provide a fair balance between the wishes of those who want to build and the people who live next door.

An imaginary line is drawn at an angle of 450 from the nearest front or rear window of the
house/flat that may be affected by the new building work. This window must be the main source of
light to a ‘habitable room’.

Habitable rooms include living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and conservatories but do not include
rooms such as bathrooms, utility rooms, halls, landings or garages.The new building work should not cross this 45 degree line. If it does, the new building/ extension would affect the outlook and daylight of the neighbour.

The point from which this imaginary line is drawn, depends on what is going to be built. If the
extension/building is going to be single-storey, the measurement is taken (and the line is drawn)
from the mid point of the nearest ground floor window of the nearby
house/flat.

The main issues for consideration are the scale and design of the proposed development as well as the impact on the amenities of the occupiers of the neighbouring properties.

The scale and design of the proposed front, side and rear extensions are acceptable and meet the general principles contained in the design guide ‘Extending your Home’. The proposal would not result in a detrimental impact on the character or appearance of the application or wider street scene.

The proposed development complies with the distance separation guidelines contained in ‘Places for Living’ and ‘Extending your Home’.

The proposed development complies with the 45 Degree Code when applied to the rear of No. 12. Whilst the proposal would breach the 45 Degree Code when applied to the nearest habitable room window to the rear of No. 8, the existing relationship between these two properties results in a significant Code breach. As such, I do not consider that the proposal would result in a further impact on the amenities of the occupiers of No. 8 than existing, bearing in mind the presence of an existing side extension which is to be replaced as part of this scheme.

Many people design their own extensions, using structural engineers for advice. Others use a design and build company who can take on the whole project. The advantage of hiring a professional to do the design work, is that they might be able to visualise the space in a way that you had not thought of due to overfamiliarity with the existing layout of your home. It is also advisable to work with a professional designer with experience in the area if you are extending a listed home or a home in a Designated Area.

Further information

Whats is wraparound extension?

Wraparound extensions are a hybrid of side and rear extensions which form an ‘L-shape’ at the back of a property. As the name would suggest, a ‘wraparound extension’ literally wraps itself around two sides of your home, typically at the rear and adds extra width to your home. It can be a single height or double height.

Remarkably, depending on the size of your house and garden, a wraparound extension can usually add between 15-60m2 of space. Side return and wraparound extensions are also ideal for ground floor flats. However, in addition to other statutory consents which we will explain below, you may also need an additional permission known as License to Alter for extending your leasehold ground floor flat.

Why are side return and wraparound house extensions popular?

The truth is if you have redundant space on the side of your property, then building a wraparound extension is the perfect opportunity to expand your living space. Building a side return house extension is a practical and often inexpensive way to add much-needed space and value to a property. The layout options for a house extension are limitless; you can create an open-plan kitchen or add an extra bedroom. As seen on other types of house extension examples, wraparound extensions are a popular expression of a range of architectural styles, both for traditional and contemporary house extensions.

Common problems with wraparound extensions

While wraparound extensions can provide additional living space and enhance the aesthetics of a property, there are several potential problems that homeowners should consider. Wraparound extensions typically involve a larger footprint and require more materials and labor compared to other types of extensions. As a result, they tend to be more expensive to construct. Depending on local regulations and the size of the proposed extension, obtaining planning permission may be necessary. Dealing with the planning process can be time-consuming and may involve additional costs. Building a wraparound extension can cause significant disruption to the daily life of the household. Construction work can be noisy, messy, and may limit access to certain parts of the property during the building process. Wraparound extensions can encroach upon the existing outdoor space, reducing the size of the garden or yard. This can be a drawback for those who value outdoor living or have children who need space to play. Depending on the orientation of the property and the design of the extension, there is a possibility that the additional structure could block natural light from entering existing rooms. This can make the interior feel darker and less inviting. A larger extension means more surfaces to maintain and keep in good condition. Cleaning, painting, and general upkeep can become more time-consuming and potentially more expensive. Extending a property with a wraparound design may require alterations to the existing structure, including the foundations and load-bearing walls. These structural modifications need to be carefully planned and executed to ensure the stability and integrity of the building.

It's important to consult with professionals, such as architects and builders, who can assess your specific property and advise you on the feasibility and potential challenges of a wraparound extension. They can guide you through the planning and construction process, ensuring that your extension is safe, compliant with regulations, and meets your needs and preferences. With these points in mind En-PLan can help balance these issues with gthe positives in order that you get the extension you need.

Gaining Planning Approval

Planning consent may or may not be required for your proposed extension and there are three vehicles that can achive the neccessary consent for hyour proposal. Unlike most house extensions, adding a wraparound extension does not fall under permitted development rights and therefore you will require to submit a householder planning application to seek planning permission. When you submit a planning application, the local planning officers will only take certain issues into account. These are often referred to as ‘material planning considerations’. For single-storey or double-storey wraparound extensions, you and your architects will need to carefully consider the following:

Loss of light or overshadowing
Visual amenity
Effect on listed buildings and the conservation area, if it is in one
Impact on the character or appearance of the area
Scale and dominance
Overlooking/loss of privacy
Design, appearance and materials

A word of caution: When your extension architect is developing your design, they need to pay particular attention to these matters to ensure your application has the right components to secure planning permission for a wraparound extension.

By working with En-Plan, you will receive the best independent advice, achieve bespoke extension design and get high-quality planning drawings for your wraparound extension. Imagine what it would be like!

En-Plan will develop a design that is more likely to get planning approved the first time around. In essence, you can transform your relatively compact space into a beautiful, spacious and functional place.

Needless to say, as well as helping you with the side return extension design and planning permission, your architect can also recommend reliable contractors that would be suited to your extension project.

Whar are permitted development rights?

Under the Permitted Development Rights system a large number of home extensions can be built without the requirement of a full householder planning permission and should hyou meet permited dveelopment rights as a houselder you can chose to complete a lwful dveelopment Cerrificate Application and this can be done shjould you meet the following crieteria:

You can extend a detached dwelling by 8m to the rear if it’s single storey or 3m if it’s double.
There are height restrictions. A single storey extension not being higher than 4m in height to the ridge and the eaves, and ridge heights of any extension not being higher than the existing property.
Two storey extensions must not be closer than 7m to the rear boundary.
It must be built in the same or similar material to the existing dwelling.
Extensions must not go forward of the building line of the original dwelling otherwis ethis wil,m trigger the requiremntr for a planing application,
Side extensions must be single storey, maximum height of 4m and a width no more than half of the original building.
In Designated Areas side extensions require planning permission and all rear extensions must be single storey.
An extension must not result in more than half the garden being covered.
You can only do it once and the original building is either as it was on 1st July 1948 or when it was built. In Northern Ireland it is as it was built or as it was on 1st October 1973.

You should bear in mind that if your house is in a Conservation Area or a National Park, the amount of work one can do under Permitted Development is usually reduced.

Your local authority has the power to remove Permitted Development Rights via an Article 4 Difrection if it feels the character of the area wll be threatened by any new work. If in any doubt, you should check with your local authority planning department. En-Plan can asist you with thios by cionductinga Planning Appraisal iof th esite and conducting pre-application discussions with the Local Planning Authority to ensure you atre heading in the right direction.

Building Regulations: The next Step.

All house extensions, including wraparound and side return extensions, require building regulations approval. In order to show that you are complying with building regulations for your extension project, you need to submit wraparound extension building regulations drawings for building control approval.

But first a warning: Due to the nature of a wraparound extension, you will typically have to remove the original rear wall of your property, as well as your existing side return. Removing these walls will require temporary propping systems and failure to get this right may cause your property to collapse.

On the face of it, you also will require a new structural design to provide structural integrity for your new home extension. Hence why you will not only require the input of an architect for your building regulations and construction drawings but also a structural engineer for your structural calculations and specifications.

Regardless of whether your new extension does or does not require planning permission, it will need Building Regulations Approval. Building regulations are rules approved by Parliament laid down to ensure the minimum design and construction standards are achieved. These cover all manner of subjects such as fire and other forms of safety, insulation, the drainage system, and access.

Building control officers do not supervise work on your behalf. Their role is to ensure the minimum standards of the building regulations have been adhered to.

To meet Building Regulations you either:

Send what is called a Full Plan Submission to your local authority. In this case you pay a fee and the building inspector visits the site at the various stages of the build and inspects the work as it proceeds.
Submit a Building Notice. This is a statement in which you inform the council that you will be complying with the regulations in building your extension and gives the building control department 48 hours notice of your intention to start the work. Surveyors will come and inspect the work at various stages and will advise you of any problems.

The second method carries an element of risk because you do not have the benefit of an approved plan to work to and the building control surveyor may only know after you have contravened a regulation requirement. It could therefore prove to be an expensive way to build if problems are discovered that have to be rectified.

Read more about Building Regulations →

Please contact us for a free no obligation consultation. We look forward to talking through any proposals you may have.