False Chimney - Planning Required?

Tinbox

Wondering if anyone could advise , we are building a 22sqm extension off the back of our house, single storey and all exempted development. Our garden will be small after, but is above the min requirement. I want to make sure the extension looks good on the outside, finishes and materials etc, however I was going to build a 'feature' chimney stack at roof level at the furthest end. It will be a pitched roof. Not one now that has the flue built out coming up the gable, but just the square stack on top built out of brick. Entirely for aesthetics, will not be functional in any way. Planning??

I am afraid to do it and one of the neighbours thinks it is real and makes a complaint. I am certainly not building it the required 1m off roof level, just maybe 500 high.

Poor Uncle Tom

Few questions:
Is your existing house a two storey?
Does the house currently have a rear facing gable?

From what you describe your extension will have a rear facing gable, to achieve this as an exempted development your existing house has to have a rear facing gable. If this is the case and if your house is a two storey or storey and a half you may not need planning permission for your false chimney, but given the lack of detail we would have to err on the side of caution and say you need planning permission, based on the information given.

Ironically, if the chimney were real and part of the house heating system it would not need planning permission.

Tinbox

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Few questions:
Is your existing house a two storey?
Does the house currently have a rear facing gable?

From what you describe your extension will have a rear facing gable, to achieve this as an exempted development your existing house has to have a rear facing gable. If this is the case and if your house is a two storey or storey and a half you may not need planning permission for your false chimney, but given the lack of detail we would have to err on the side of caution and say you need planning permission, based on the information given.

Ironically, if the chimney were real and part of the house heating system it would not need planning permission.

Poor Uncle Tom, thanks for that. Very clear. My house is a detached, rectangular in shape and has hipped roofs, no gable ends in sight! It's in a high density development also.

So it isn't exempted then! But I just wonder how strict would they be, would they refuse? I would love a gable end, although it will abut my neighbours fence, I won't have direct sight of it, but really want the shape of the gable to finish off at the top with a chimney stack.

Your wood burner idea is food for thought. When the room is extended, in total it will be 12m long, and we planned on having a gas fire on the wall at the end. A wood burner would be nice, but would not want a boiler, just a room heating one. Integral to the heating system in that instance?

I could seek a Section 5 Declaration, but maybe be cheeky and just have a pre plan meeting and seek advice?

Mellor

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

From what you describe your extension will have a rear facing gable, to achieve this as an exempted development your existing house has to have a rear facing gable

It's ear;y and I haven't had coffee. But I don't understand the above.
Same something changed that I missed?

Poor Uncle Tom

Mellor wrote: »

It's ear;y and I haven't had coffee. But I don't understand the above.
Same something changed that I missed?

Nope,

Just allowing for:

4. (a) Where the rear wall of the house does not include a gable, the height of the walls of any such extension shall not exceed the height of the rear wall of the house.

in case the OP's house is single storey or if the gable extends higher than the rear wall of the existing house.

If it doesn't and the OP want's to use the chimney as part of the heating system (space heating can be considered part of the central heating) then this might get them over the line of being exempted. We still don't know if the house is two storey or single storey.

Mellor

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Nope,

Just allowing for:

in case the OP's house is single storey or if the gable extends higher than the rear wall of the existing house.

Yeah if it's single story, but if its two he doesn't need a rear facing gable. The way you phrased it it sounded like you were saying he always needs one.

I had to read over to check had I missed the number of stories.

OP. 1 or 2 story?

Poor Uncle Tom

Mellor wrote: »

The way you phrased it

Reading back on it, it seems that way, sorry for the confusion, I probably should have waited for and answer to my questions before going on......

Tinbox

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Nope,

Just allowing for:

in case the OP's house is single storey or if the gable extends higher than the rear wall of the existing house.

If it doesn't and the OP want's to use the chimney as part of the heating system (space heating can be considered part of the central heating) then this might get them over the line of being exempted. We still don't know if the house is two storey or single storey.

Hi, the house is a two storey, so the gable wall in its entirety (base to tip of the triangle) will be lower than the height of the existing back elevation, I.e. under gutter height.

Aside from an chimney addition. functional or not, is this gable exempt? I really don't want a hip roof and would like to go along the lines of a barged finish.

However if a chimney was to be functional, if we got a wood burner, does that not have to be really tall so that the smoke is escaping at a level which is above the 1st floor windows of neighbours houses? Also, there are no functioning fire places/chimneys in this scheme I am living in, unless like me someone went and put a burner in after, but I spent a hour looking around........ No chimneys!

Poor Uncle Tom

Tinbox wrote: »

Hi, the house is a two storey, so the gable wall in its entirety (base to tip of the triangle) will be lower than the height of the existing back elevation, I.e. under gutter height.

Aside from an chimney addition. functional or not, is this gable exempt?

Given the above, the gable is exempt.

Tinbox wrote: »

However if a chimney was to be functional, if we got a wood burner, does that not have to be really tall so that the smoke is escaping at a level which is above the 1st floor windows of neighbours houses?

This is worth a read

http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/BuildingStandards/FileDownLoad,1650,en.pdf

From page 5 onward.

Tinbox wrote: »

Also, there are no functioning fire places/chimneys in this scheme I am living in, unless like me someone went and put a burner in after, but I spent a hour looking around........ No chimneys!

You should check the planning permission for the original development and see if there are any conditions to prevent chimneys being put on the houses (unlikely but worth a check).