DAVID ELAND, DIRECTOR AT OEB ARCHITECTS, TALKS US THROUGH PLANNING THIS CLEVER REAR ADDITION – OTHERWISE KNOWN AS A POD ROOM
An outrigger is the smaller rear projection of a traditional Victorian house, often containing the kitchen on the ground floor and a bathroom and small bedroom on the first floor. Often, an outrigger loft extension is undertaken alongside a larger loft extension on the main roof as part of what is sometimes called an L-shaped loft extension, but it can also be added retrospectively. This new space is often turned into a spare bathroom, children’s bedroom, office or dressing room as the size tends to be smaller than the main loft and the ceiling height is lower. An outrigger extension is a great way to add room to a property and increase its value. However, they do need to respond to a number of constraints. David lists those restrictions here, and shares his advice on what to look out for when planning a successful outrigger extension.
1 Think about lighting and overshadowing. Increasing the height of the outrigger might reduce the amount of daylight entering surrounding windows, both to your property and perhaps more importantly your neighbouring properties. The amount of daylight entering a bedroom or living space in a house is protected by the ‘rights to light’ easement (more information on this can be found at gov.uk/government/publications/rights-to-light). Before considering an outrigger extension we would recommend having a look to see what windows might be affected. The size of the extension may have to be designed to limit how much overshadowing it causes.
2 Be aware of volume constraints. If on a single dwelling house, outrigger loft extensions are usually undertaken under permitted development: which are the rights you have to extend your home without needing to apply for planning permission – more information on this can be found by visiting the Planning Portal website at planningportal.co.uk. Planning permission will be required if the property is a flat or maisonette or is in certain conservation areas. To ensure your extension conforms with the permitted development there are a few rules that need to be followed. One is that the total volume for all roof extensions cannot exceed 40 cubic metres for terraced houses or 50 cubic metres for detached houses and semi-detached houses. If forming part of an L-shaped loft extension, this volume constraint may mean the outrigger extension will need to be smaller than the floor of the outrigger below it.
3 Be mindful of the materials you need to use. As well as volume, permitted development requires that extensions are constructed from matching materials as the original property. For outrigger extensions this usually means matching the existing roof covering: for example, having slate cladding to the sides of the extension if built on top of a slate roof, or clay tiles
