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Q&As
No exit?
My property was built in 2004 and I have recently had a first-floor rear exit stairway added, both as a fire escape and to give me access to the garden from my living area (the bedrooms are on the ground floor). I checked with the council to see whether I needed planning permission and it said that I didn’t. The work is now complete and the planning department has now said there is a clause on my building saying that extensions to the property are not allowed. Does a staircase constitute an extension? Despite the fact that no one mentioned this when I first approached the council, it is now threatening to make me take it down.
Answers
The problem here is probably a condition attached to the original planning permission that either specifically prohibits extensions or removes permitted development rights to put them up. You should check the wording of the condition carefully. It’s certainly debatable whether the staircase is an extension, but the real question is whether it causes any real harm. This could be to the appearance of the house itself, or possibly to the privacy of neighbours. Discuss with the council what harm, if any, it perceives. Try to avoid a situation where the council takes action against you by offering to make an application to keep the stairs. That way, if this is refused, you still have the option of an appeal.
