PROPERTY SUB DIVISION

KING'S LYNN, NORFOLK

Property Sub-division

6 Springfield Road, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 6AE

Proposed Development: Subdivision of house into four flats

En-Plan were approached to act as the Planning & Architectural Consultants for a local developer to sub divide an existing residential property in Gorleston into four self contained units. As the site is in a Town Centre location parking requirements are reduced allowing EN-PLAN to secure the permission by arguing this point successfully and this allowing the Council to approve the application and allow the development t progress swiftly.

Application Ref: 06/15/0732/F6

Application Type: Full Planning
Date Valid: 16/04/2015
Location: 6 Springfiled Road, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, NR31 6AE.
Proposal: Sub-division of property into four flats.
Decision: Full Granted
Decision Date: 01/02/2016

Property sub-division and the Planning System

“Adequate space is a pre-requisite for basic living. There should be enough room for
residents to cook, eat, relax and socialise. There should be sufficient space for
furniture and the storage of personal possessions. If homes are to have a long life,
they must offer functional and adaptable spaces that meet the needs of families,
children, older people and disabled residents.”
(CABE – Space in New Homes: What Residents Think - 2009)

The subdivision of existing buildings into smaller residential units can be an important source of additional housing in York. It might take different forms such as:

• Conversion 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.

This draft SPD does not cover existing residential properties where existing
rooms are divided to create additional living facilities for the existing single
family unit, it only is applicable when a separate living unit is provided.

1.3 Conversion and sub-division of existing buildings can be a sustainable form of
development as it gives a new lease of life to the existing buildings which
might be redundant or economically unviable in their current use. It would
reduce the waste and carbon emissions arising from the demolition of the old
buildings, the embodied energy in the materials of a demolished building and
the construction of new buildings.

1.4 With sympathetic alterations to the exterior of the existing buildings,
conversion is likely to have a lower visual impact on the street scene by
preserving the existing building frontage and respecting the character of the
area.

1.5 However, unsatisfactory conversion work can result in accommodation which
is of an inadequate size and poor quality. The occupants could be exposed to
a number of potential problems, such as overlooking, poor outlook,
overcrowding and lack of amenity space, inadequate light, noise and
disturbance from neighbouring premises, and inconvenient and unsafe
access.

v) Residential Space Standards:
3.10 The new dwellings formed by sub-division and conversion of existing buildings
are required to provide satisfactory accommodation in terms of size and
City of York Council: Subdivision of Dwellings Draft Supplementary Planning Document (December 2012)
11
layout and to meet the minimum size standard for individual dwellings and
habitable rooms.
3.11 Broadly in line with the requirements of the English Partnerships Minimum
Space Standards, the following minimum internal space standards should be
applied to new subdivided dwellings:
Number of bedrooms / persons Minimum internal space (m2)
1 bedroom homes 51sqm
2 bedroom homes 72sqm
3 bedroom homes 93sqm
4 bedroom homes 106sqm

Property sub-division and Building Regulations

If you are carrying out building work personally, it is very important that you understand how the building regulatory system and material applies to your situation as you are responsible for making sure that the work complies with the building regulations.

If you are employing a builder, the responsibility will usually be theirs - but you should confirm this at the very beginning. You should also bear in mind that if you are the owner of the building, it is ultimately you who may be served with an enforcement notice if the work does not comply with the regulations.

Some kinds of building projects are exempt from the regulations, however generally if you are planning to carry out 'building work' as defined in regulation 3 of the building regulations, then it must comply with the building regulations. This means that the regulations will probably apply if you want to:

Put up a new building
Extend or alter an existing one
Provide services and/or fittings in a building such as washing and sanitary facilities, hot water cylinders, foul water and rainwater drainage, replacement windows, and fuel burning appliances of any type.

The works themselves must meet the relevant technical requirements in the building regulations and they must not make other fabric, services and fittings less compliant than they were before - or dangerous. For example, the provision of replacement double-glazing must not make compliance worse in relation to means of escape, air supply for combustion appliances and their flues and ventilation for health.

They may also apply to certain changes of use of an existing building. This is because the change of use may result in the building as a whole no longer complying with the requirements which will apply to its new type of use, and so having to be up-graded to meet additional requirements specified in the regulations for which building work may also be required.

In summary, the following types of project amount to 'building work':

The erection or extension of a building
The installation or extension of a service or fitting which is controlled under the regulations
An alteration project involving work which will temporarily or permanently affect the ongoing compliance of the building, service or fitting with the requirements relating to structure, fire, or access to and use of buildings
The insertion of insulation into a cavity wall
The underpinning of the foundations of a building
Work affecting the thermal elements, energy status or energy performance of a building.

Before commencing work you should refer to Regulation 3 of the Building Regulations for the full meaning of 'building work' or, if you are unsure, seek advice.

How to get approval

Once you have decieded that you do need building regulations approval you have a choice of where this can be obtained. Learn about different types of building regulations approval and where to get approval in our how to get approval section.

You will need to submit full plans showing in particular:

Insulation
Means of escape and fire protection
Fire alarms and emergency lighting
Sound Proofing details and eventual testing
Structural calculations
SAP calculations