Dividing a detached into semis

[dawnik]

I have a large house in a rural location which I can't sell and as I'm self employed, can't afford to run. It would divide quite easily into two semis, so I could keep one and sell the other but a planning advisor has told me that I would never get planning permission to do this. Does anyone have any experience of dividing a dwelling into two and can advise me of any pitfalls and the best way to proceed?
Thanks in anticipation.

[Richard Webster]

Nobody would get a mortgage on a dwelling that didn't have planniing permission so there's no point in proceeding unless you can get that permission. This will depend on local planning policies. If a planning advisor has told you that this is unlikely then I am not sure where you think you can go from there.

Try another planning advisor - he might givve you a different view - in the end the only way forward would be to make an application and if necessary appeal. That could be very expensive.

[googler]

Is the 'planning advisor' an appointed representative of the planning dept in your local council, or an independent consultant?

If an independent, then go to the local council's planning dept and ask the duty planning officer for a second opinion.

If within the council, go back and ask him/her WHY it won't get permission. Ask if there's a particular local plan or policy that would prohibit it. Ask if it's because you're in conservation area. Find out if they're talking on the basis of facts or not.

If he or she mentions particular named planning policies, you should be able to read and research these for yourself on your council's website.

Alternatively, look on the council's website for applications in the same street as you, or in the same postcode area, and look for the planning officer's reports within these applications. These usually have a preamble that lists the planning policies relevant to the application, and armed with these, again, you can read and research them yourself.

If you can't find this stuff on the council's website, go into the planning dept and ask the duty planning officer for help in looking out processed applications in your street (both granted and refused applns), and allowing you to browse the officers' reports in these applications.