Planning permission Leeds - Residential house extension gets go ahead from planning officers

The property is located in north Leeds and is a 1970’s two storey detached residence with a dormer to the first floor, typical of the local residential architecture of the time. The structure is almost entirely original, having only benefited in the intervening years from the addition of a conservatory to the rear. The property is sited on an almost triangular plot, the nature of which forms a large rear and small front garden.

The family has been living in the area for many years and wished to continue to do so, however, a growing family meant they required a home with more living space. A house extension would allow them to prolong their use of the existing property well into the foreseeable future.

The client initially approached Ormerod Sutton Architects as we had previously provided architectural services for several of their neighbours.

Client Brief

We were asked to develop a two storey extension to the east elevation in order to provide a ground floor study, children’s play room and two additional bedrooms on the first floor, one of which would be a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom required to house a full size bath and separate shower.

The client also desired to make the house more energy efficient and include provision for the future installation of solar panels.

The Design

The extension is to be constructed primarily over the footprint of the existing property, increasing it by only 1.6%. The total gain in internal space over both floors being approximately 27sqm (290sqft). By utilising the existing footprint, there will be minimal loss of usable external amenity space for the dwelling and the design will therefore surpass requirements set out by the Leeds City Council “Neighbourhoods for Living” urban design guidance.

The key design elements were to ensure that the new layout met the current and future needs of the family, whilst ensuring that the development did not adversely affect neighbouring properties.

The use of windows will meet the Leeds Householder Design Guide and any essential windows to the side elevation were obscured to ensure strict adherence with the council recommendations.

The conversion of the original integral garage will create a new study and enable reordering of the newly enlarged living space on the ground floor.

The additional floor space created on the first floor has provided the opportunity for an additional large master bedroom and the reconfiguration of the remaining space has facilitated a more efficient internal arrangement of bedrooms, the number of which has increased from 4 to 6.

External Appearance

Design cues for the exterior were derived directly from the existing materials and features to remain in keeping with the existing character of the streetscape. The extension will be constructed in matching brick and smooth render to achieve a modern look at reasonable cost. The objective was for the new house extension to seamlessly integrate with the original dwelling.