Extensions

Consent is required from the Heritage Foundation and often from the District Council for many types of extensions including porches, conservatories and carports. If an extension is to be acceptable, some basic principles must be observed:

• The extension should be designed to respect the original character of the house.
• It should not dominate the original building in size or position, nor should it overlook or overshadow a neighbouring house or garden.
• It should retain, enhance or improve the overall appearance of the property, and the opportunity should, if possible, be taken to remove insensitive additions from the past, or later windows and doors, which are not in character with the building.
• It should reflect and be sympathetic to the character of the neighbourhood.
• Particular safeguards apply to Listed houses and care must be taken to ensure that extensions do not damage their special character.

Desire for greater living space, additional bedrooms, bathrooms or larger kitchens brings pressure for substantial alterations and extensions to Garden City properties. Such changes will permanently alter the appearance and character of a property and will also have an impact on the surrounding area. Present owners and prospective purchasers should therefore assess ways of making the best use of the existing layout, with perhaps small alterations and extensions, rather than seeking to extend to the maximum that the plot appears to offer. This is particularly relevant for small cottages where special guidance exists.

The design of a successful house extension requires a knowledge of the building type and a sensitive handling of scale and detail. First and foremost, any new extension must respect the original character of a building in terms of its size, proportions, details and materials In most instances, the extension should blend with the existing, though sometimes a well-handled contrast may successfully complement the character of the original. An extension should be in keeping with the size of the original house. For example, properties designed as small cottages will not lend themselves to additions, which create a large house.

The Heritage Foundation staff will offer informal advice about extensions. However, you are advised to employ an architect or suitably qualified professional to draw up your plans and to see the project through to construction. If you are thinking of an extension, try to view your proposals from your neighbours' perspective, and discuss them openly. Agreement at this stage can often help to 'smooth the passage' at the application or construction stage, although the District and Foundation will ultimately consider each proposal on its own merits.

Position of Extensions

Each application is looked at with regard to its scale and impact in relation to the space available, the character of the individual house, its neighbouring properties and surroundings.

Rear extensions are usually the most practical solution, rarely having any impact upon the publicly visible street scene. However, attention must be paid to their position and size, especially on terraced and semidetached properties, so that they do not adversely affect adjacent properties. A well-designed rear conservatory can often be the least intrusive type of extension to gain more space.

In some areas of Letchworth the low overall density of housing means that side extensions can be allowed without detriment to the style of the existing house, to neighbouring properties or to the overall character of the location. In other areas, for instance, small cottages or planned groups, side extensions may close up the gap between houses, creating a cramped visual appearance or terraced effect, unacceptably changing the character of the area. This can be particularly true of two storey extensions.

Front extensions are potentially the most visually damaging. They will often disrupt the front building line of a row or formal group of houses. Even in areas of housing of varied shapes and sizes, long front gardens and informal layouts, they will need to be handled with great sensitivity and care.

Extensions affecting garages and parking provision

Throughout the Garden City Estate we emphasis the need to retain front gardens with soft landscaping. If you are considering removing an existing garage or converting it to provide more living space, or thinking about adding or extending a hard standing in your front garden we produce special guidance.