REFUSED | Change of use of first floor to 3 dwellings (flats)

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Chesham Planning Application | Buckinghamshire Council | PL/23/1163/PAPCR | REFUSAL

This application is a Prior Approval Application, which basically means that the applicant wants to confirm that they do not need planning permission to convert the existing buildings into 3 dwellings, as this would be permitted development. This is fully acceptable in many cases, but the issue here is that the buildings to be converted are close-to a series of Listed Buildings, and in a Conservation Area. Some types of development are allowed under permitted development in Conservation Areas, but where Listed Buildings are concerned, permitted development is not allowed.

In this case, the applicant has submitted a Prior Approval notice twice for this, arguing that the building to be converted is not listed, or part of the nearby listed buildings, but the planning history appears to indicate that the buildings might be grouped in the same ownership as listed buildings, hence the refusal.

PAPA SAYS - for a definition of whether this building is considered to be in within the curtilage of a Listed Building, we would approach Historic England who would have a final say on this. If the answer is yes, why not just go for a full planning and listed building application, with a good design this might be fully acceptable?

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