Planning Consultancy:
Property sub-division and the Planning System
This interesting field of planning and property development will allow you to create new planning units within existing buildings and thereby increase either rental yield or overall value of the building by producing more units. It might take different forms such as:
• Conversion and change of use of existing non-residential buildings and vacant properties into dwellings;
• Subdivision of existing houses into maisonette and/or flats;
• Conversion of accommodation above shops into flats.
Property subdivision generally requires planning permission from the local planning authority. This involves submitting a planning application that outlines the proposed development, including the number and layout of the new units, access roads, landscaping, and any other relevant details. The planning authority will assess the application against local planning policies and consider factors such as impact on the local area, infrastructure, and amenity.
Adequate space is a pre-requisite for basic living. There should be enough room for residents to cook, eat, relax and socialise. This standard deals with internal space within new dwellings and is suitable for application across all tenures. It sets out requirements for the Gross Internal (floor) Area of new dwellings at a defined level of occupancy as well as floor areas and dimensions for key parts of the home, notably bedrooms, storage and floor to ceiling height. 2. The requirements of this standard for bedrooms, storage and internal areas are relevant only in determining compliance with this standard in new dwellings and have no other statutory meaning or use. The National Space Standards outline these requirements for new housing development.
Building Regulations and Property Sub-division.
Once planning permission has been granted, building regulations come into play to ensure that the construction work meets certain standards. Building regulations cover various aspects of the development, including structural stability (Approved Document A), fire safety (Approved Document B), accessibility, energy efficiency (Approved Document L), ventilation, drainage, and electrical and plumbing installations. Compliance with the building regulations is typically required for each individual unit within the subdivision. At En-Plan we have the technical building guidance required to guide you through this stage.
We can also assist in assessing whether the Party Wall Act will be of relevance as if the subdivision involves building or modifying a shared wall (known as a party wall) with an adjacent property, the Party Wall Act 1996 applies. The Act sets out the requirements for serving party wall notices, reaching agreements with adjacent property owners, and resolving disputes.
Case Study: The Cornerhouse, Hunstanton, Norfolk - Creation of new holiday let by subdivision of the existing unit. Addition of new dormer windows and dwarf wall to the fore. Increase in size of patio area to the rear.
Full planning permission was sought for the subdivision of an existing bed and breakfast/dwelling to allow use as one self-contained holiday let alongside associated dwelling house. Dormer windows are proposed alongside internal alterations.
The site is located off Cromer Road, Old Hunstanton and comprises a Grade II Listed Building and it's curtilage. The application site is wholly within the Development Boundary for Old Hunstanton as outlined on inset map G67 of the SADMPP (2016) of the North Norfolk Local Plan. Hunstanton is a seaside town located on the Norfolk coast in eastern England. The history of Hunstanton stretches back thousands of years, with evidence of human activity in the area dating back to the prehistoric era. Archaeological discoveries in and around Hunstanton indicate that the area has been inhabited since the Mesolithic period, around 10,000 BC. Stone tools and other artifacts have been found, suggesting that early hunter-gatherer communities lived in the region. The Romans established a presence in the area during the 1st century AD. In recent decades, Hunstanton has continued to thrive as a popular seaside resort, attracting tourists with its sandy beaches, distinctive striped cliffs, and traditional seaside attractions.
Access to the site is proposed to be retained as existing, with a dual-access driveway to Cromer Road. The existing parking area to the front of the building will be improved to allow further space for vehicles to park.
The existing building was most recently in use as a Bed and Breakfast with associated owners' accommodation. According to information available to the LPA, up to six bedrooms were let at any one time. The proposal seeks consent to change the use parts of the dwelling previously used as the B&B to allow use as one self-contained holiday let. The proposed holiday let use (in discussion with Norfolk County Council Highways) was considered to give rise to fewer vehicle movements than the unrestricted bed and breakfast and therefore has no detrimental impact upon highways and access in the locality.
External alterations include the addition of dormers to the front roof slope and replacement of dormer windows to the rear. An existing patio space will be extended to the rear of the dwelling. The remaining alterations are internal and include the creation of a hidden bookcase doorway to subdivide the units. The submitted architectural visualisation has shown the suitability of the design.
With the previous bed and breakfast use generating high levels of traffic, the proposed holiday let is not considered likely to lead to highways impacts to an extent that would warrant refusal. The use of the front of the site as a single holiday let, when combined with the retained owners accommodation to the rear, is unlikely to exceed the historic levels of traffic associated with the unrestricted B&B use. For the avoidance of doubt, a condition was recommended to ensure compliance with the traffic management plan submitted as part of this application. With the attachment of said condition the Planning Authority concluded there was no detrimental impact upon highways and access in the locality.
Overall, the development is considered to comply with the National Planning Policy Framework (2021), Policies CS08, CS10 and CS12 of the Core Strategy (2011) and Policies DM11 and DM15 of the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Plan (2016) and permission was granted.
Case Study: 96 Erddig Road, Wrexham, LL13 7DR - Sub-division of property into two flats.
The development site lies within a residential area comprising terraced properties of traditional design which front onto Erddig Road. The existing property has 5 no. bedrooms, small front garden and an existing rear amenity area comprising an area of hard standing and small yard area,
The application sought planning permission for the subdivision of the existing dwelling into 2 apartments. A 1 x 1 bedroom unit on the ground floor which is accessed from the rear, and a 1 x 2 bedroom unit on the first floor which is accessed from the front.
The submitted plans provide details of a dedicated cycle parking area within the rear garden of the property. The Council’s Highway Department suggested further details be provided and that a covered cycle shelter also be considered. However, the submitted details confirm that there would be 4 secure cycle parking spaces, which accords with Local Planning Guidance Notes. The details requested by the Council’s Highway Officer were provided, and therefore the development proposed was considered unlikely to give rise to parking or highway safety concerns in the vicinity of the site. It therefore accords with UDP policy T8.
The site lies within the Fairy Road Conservation Area. No changes were proposed to the exterior of the building are proposed. The proposed development would therefore preserve the character of the Conservation Area, complying with UDP policy EC7 of Wrexham Planning Policy.
The proposed development is unlikely to increase the number of occupiers compared to the existing situation and is therefore unlikely to increase the volume of phosphorus generated. It is therefore unlikely that there would be a significant effect on the River Dee and Bala Lake Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The proposed development would therefore accord with Unitary Development Plan Policies GDP1, EC6 and EC14.
Concerns have been raised about the potential for the proposed flats to be used as Houses in Multiple Occupation. However, the application proposes to use the existing dwelling as two flats, not HMOs. Planning permission would for change of use in order for all or part of the property to be used as a HMO. Granting planning permission for the change of use would not bind Wrexham Council in the consideration of any future planning application.
It was considered by Wrexham Planning Department that the proposed development would have no unacceptable impact in respect of visual amenity or highway safety. It is considered that the proposal would not have a significant adverse impact on health or quality of life, having particular regard to residential amenity, and approval was granted.
How En-Plan can assist you with Property Sub-division
En-Plan have extensive experience in this field and can provide you with full working drawings for any property sub-division project and thereby allow you to get accurate quotations from Builders and give you the knowledge that you are working to an approved specification. Please refer to our Planning Consultancy and architectural services pages for more information.
