Sixth Form Common Room...

Newly refurbished sixth form common room at Sherrardswood School in Welwyn Hertfordshire by Gardiner Design Associates, in association with R. Taylor Design Associates.

"The project took six weeks from a bare shell to hand over and comprises a newly formed IT suite, tutorial room and open area with cafe and soft seating break out areas. Furnishing is a careful selection of Herman Miller, Allermuir and IKEA and modern energy saving architectural lighting by Concord. A simple blend of Marley vinyl flooring and cord carpet pulls the scheme neatly together. The partitioning with fully glazed panels and full height doors, is beautiful RAL finished frame system with integrated fine blinds. The building creates a healthy and inspiring teaching establishment which the students and teaching staff will all benefit from". [http://wwwgardinerdesign.blogspot.com/]

Extensions and Planning Permission...

Under new regulations that came into effect on 1 October 2008 an extension or addition to your house is considered to be permitted development, not requiring an application for planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:

• More than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
• No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.
• No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.
• Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres beyond the rear wall for an attached house and four metres beyond the rear wall for a detached house.
• Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.
• Maximum depth of a rear extension of more than one storey of three metres beyond the rear wall including ground floor.
• Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.
• Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than existing house.
• Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
• Two-storey extensions no closer than seven metres to rear boundary.
• Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing house.
• Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house.
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
• Upper-floor, side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor.
• On designated land* no permitted development for rear extensions of more than one storey.
• On designated land no cladding of the exterior.
• On designated land no side extensions.

* The term "original house" means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.

* Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.

Building Regulations...

• Most extensions of properties require approval under the Building Regulations.
• There are a number of classes of new buildings or extensions of existing buildings that do not need Building Regulations approval, i.e. are exempt from the Regulations.