House buying - planning permission question

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Hello all... We are in the process of buying our first house.
As we are new to this whole process and the house has been standing since about 1930, there are a few questions we have... Main one at the moment is regards a loft conversion which was done in 1995. We have not been provided with planning permission for this, but we have been provided with a 'completion of building regulation work' certificate.
Do we need to push for a copy of the planning permission (current owner did the conversion)?
Is there be some kind of statute of limitations on planning permission so that even if it wasn't applied for or approved at the time because it's been standing almost 20 years it will be allowed to remain?
Thanks!
 

Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
Iirc you could apply for a certificate of lawfullness if the alteration has been in existense for more than ten years. However if the exterior of the house has not been altered then you probably don't need planning anyway, just building regs which it sounds like you have.
 
OP
OP
SavageHoutkop

SavageHoutkop

Veteran
Solicitor says the other solicitors "hold no planning permissions with the deeds they hold and that due to the age of the work they do not propose to make any approach to the council for duplicates (if they exist)."
 

Archie_tect

De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
Location
Northumberland
Maybe covered by Permitted Development Rights... unless the house is listed or within a conservation area when it would require planning approval.
You could check with the Planning Office of the Council where the house is located... as Hacienda says it maybe that the planners would not be that concerned and at worst may require the owners to apply for a Lawful Development Cert as Hacienda said earlier.
 

Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
Dependent on the local authority you may be able to check online, although 1995 is borderline for online records. I wouldn't stress too much though if there isn't planning and you want peace of mind apply for lawfulness . If it was an issue then the local enforcement officer would have been at the previous owner with enforcement notices by now, and that should show up on searches your solicitor has made also the vendor would have had to declare this as part of their pre-contract answers to enquiries.
 

Rohloff_Brompton_Rider

Formerly just_fixed
just ask your solicitor for indemnity insurance, when we used to buy houses and refurbish them we came across this regularly. as it's over 10 years i can't envisage any problems, but the indemnity should cover you.
 

ASC1951

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
Loft conversions generally don't need planning consent if the projections don't break the roof line and are at the back of the house; on the elevation facing the road, they certainly do. Building Regulation consent is rather more important IMO because a) it shows that the work has been done safely and b) there is no legal limitation period for a breach if the structure is dangerous.

In my former existence I used to deal with this stuff daily. If you or your solicitor are bothered about it, just get a conveyancing indemnity policy as Bromptonfb suggests. They usually cost £30 - £100, and you could ask the Seller to knock it off the price. I used to use these people http://www.gcs-title.co.uk/ and for complex policies http://www.goodtitle.co.uk/ were particularly helpful.
 
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