Policy information sourced from St Albans District Local Plan

72 Extensions in Residential Areas

Planning applications for extensions to dwellings and other buildings in residential areas shall conform to the policies and principles below:

  1. Scale and character - the extension shall relate to the domestic scale, character and appearance of the street;
  2. Compatibility with original building - the architectural style, roof form, windows, detailing and materials shall normally be appropriate to the original building, particularly in conservation areas;
  3. Space around the building - the extension shall not be so large as to seriously diminish the private space, including car parking/ garaging, around the original building (Policies 41 and 70);
  4. Car parking/garaging - if potential additional bedroom accommodation is proposed, permission will not normally be granted unless parking provision is made in accordance with Policy 40, criterion (4);
  5. Affect on adjoining property - the light, privacy or amenity of adjoining property shall not be unacceptably harmed. Balconies and first floor conservatories are not normally permitted;
  6. Cumulative effect - in areas of specific and repetitive character, applications that may lead to an adverse cumulative effect will be refused;
  7. Side extensions - where the cumulative effect would lead to terracing of detached or semi-detached houses, extensions other than at ground floor level shall normally be a minimum of 1 metre from the party boundary;
  8. Single storey rear extensions - shall not normally extend more than 3 metres rearward along a party boundary;
  9. Two storey rear extensions
    • shall not normally intrude into a 45 degree visibility zone of a neighbour’s ground floor windows, (refer to the District Council’s Design Advice Note No.2);
    • shall comply with Policy 70 (6) in terms of privacy.

For more information please see the Local Plan