Policy information sourced from Basildon District Local Plan Saved Policies.

BAS GB3: Replacement Dwellings in the Green Belt.

Dwellings will be allowed to enlarge on replacement to 90 square metres or a maximum of 35 square metres over and above the floor area of the original dwelling (or the area as at 1 July 1948), which ever is the greater.

Dwellings which have already been extended, by virtue of planning permission granted by the General Permitted Development Order (permitted development), by the Secretary of State or by the Local Planning Authority, may be replaced by a dwelling of the same size.

The appropriateness of any proposal for a replacement dwelling will also be assessed in terms of its scale, form, design, height and materials, nearby buildings and the character of the area.

All replacement dwellings will be subject to the following criteria:-

  • in the Plotland areas replacement of dwellings by bungalows, subject to a maximum height of 5.5 metres, or chalets, subject to a maximum height of 7.5 metres;
  • new dwellings should be located centrally within the plot and between 6 metres and 10 metres from the highway boundary;
  • no part of the dwelling, including attached or detached garages and out buildings, should be less than 2.5 metres from any boundary;
  • detached garages should be set back in the plot to minimise massing on the frontage and toavoid the creation of an urban form of development;
  • relevant permitted development rights, as set out in schedule two of the general permitteddevelopment order 1995 may be removed by condition on the planning permission, where itis considered that implementation of these permitted development rights could cause materialharm to the green belt;
  • all dimensions are taken to include external walls, except for accommodation in the roof whereinternal dimensions will be used;
  • attached garages, conservatories, porches and living accommodation in the roof will be includedin the calculation of existing and proposed floorspace; and
  • the criteria set out in policies BAS GB5 and BAS BE12.

Enlargement of a dwelling on replacement under this policy is a once and for all increase in floor area. Successive replacements will not attract successive enlargements.

Living accommodation in the roofspace is defined as rooms which have been purposely converted to and are used as living accommodation, have access by stairs and have, or are capable of having, approval under the Building Regulations.

For more information, here is the Basildon District’s Local Plan.