Window in side of detached house

neeb

The situation:
We bought the house like this so unsure of what was taken into consideration when the work was being done.

There is a sunroom off the dining room, the entrance to the sunroom is where the double doors to the garden were in the dining room so the dining room now has no window. Its open plan to the sunroom and it seems dark.
When you look into it from the kitchen it looks ok though.
The house is about 10 years old.
The sunroom is not in line with the house directly, its about 6 inches inset from the original line of the house.
The only other windows on the side are bathroom windows.
The site is tight, there is 3 foot of space between us and the boundary. Not a full meter.

The regulations say 1 meter to boundary for a window in an extension. Does this still apply if its a window in the original house? Clutching at straws???
Does the meter take into account the fact that the window is slightly recessed into the wall? i.e. is it 1 meter from boundary to glass or the the wall?

Thanks

sydthebeat

Forget about the 1m distance, thats only if you are trying to build an extension thats exempt from permission.

This is a question of whether a window in a wall requires permission, and its not black and white at all. this will open a can of worms....

Some councils (donegal at least) have a process in which you can apply for a minor alteration, i thinks its an €80 fee and a simply application. if your LA has this facility you could take advantage.

Now, as to whether it requires planning.

the planning act of 2000 states
"(h) development consisting of the carrying out of works for the maintenance, improvement or other alteration of any structure, being works which affect only the interior of the structure or which do not materially affect the external appearance of the structure so as to render the appearance inconsistent with the character of the structure or of neighbouring structures;"

It is certainly arguable that the introduction of this window affects the external appearance of the structure, but does it render it inconsistent with the character of the structure or of neighbouring structures????

This is the question. And it comes down to opinion.

All i would advise is that its is arguably exempt (without knowing the particulars). You need to be able to make the argument however, should the need arise.

muffler

sydthebeat wrote: »

Some councils (donegal at least) have a process in which you can apply for a minor alteration, i thinks its an €80 fee and a simply application. if your LA has this facility you could take advantage.

As Bord Failte used to say in their ads - "up here it's different"

neeb

in Cork. The houses are so close together you would not see this from the road. The neighbors have a giant hedge anyhow so they won't see it.

Do you get a letter to say its exempt or do you just get one persons opinion and it might be different with the next person?