Gravesham Borough Council

Supplementary Planning Guidance

Residential layout guidelines

Supplementary planning guidance 2
February 1996

Gravesham Borough Council

Supplementary Planning Guidance

Introduction
All planning applications for new dwellings, extensions to existing dwellings, flats, maisonettes and bedsitters (whether they are new buildings or are to be achieved by conversion), must comply with the Borough Council's adopted Residential Layout Guidelines as set out below. These guidelines set out minimum standards for room sizes, circulation space, layout, privacy distances and garden areas. Where proposals are below those minimum floor areas, it will be for the applicant to demonstrate that the rooms are physically capable of accommodating the furniture and fittings normally associated with their use, and that other statutory requirements are complied with. documents also provided the basis for the floorspace requirements for the Residential Layout Guidelines approved in 1984. Table 1 Function of room Double bedroom Single bedroom Living room Dining room Kitchen Kitchen/diner Lounge/diner Bathroom and WC Bathroom only WC only Floorspace 11.2 sq. m 6.5 13.2 9.5 7.2 12.0 18.0 3.6 2.8 1.3

Dwelling houses
1 In considering whether to permit applications for new dwellings and extensions to dwellings, the Borough Council will first need to be satisfied that the development is acceptable in principle. In this respect, regard will be had to all relevant policies in the Gravesham Local Plan 1st. Review. 2 Table one provides guidance on floor areas which would be acceptable, from a planning point of view, for typical rooms. Dwellings with three or more bedrooms will be expected to have separate dining facilities, or be provided with kitchen/diners or lounge/diners which are significantly larger than the minimum floorspace requirements. 3 These minimum floorspace requirements (excluding those for kitchen/diners and lounge/diners) were derived from the DoE Design Bulletins #6 - "Space in the Home" and #29 - "Housing Single People 2" and "Activities and Spaces - Data for Housing Design" published by the DoE in 1983. These

4 The floorspace requirements for kitchen/ diners, lounge/diners and for bedsitters were calculated on the minimum floor area necessary to accommodate the furniture, storage, uses and appliances associated with modern living. A more detailed account, which justifies the figures recommended by the Borough Council is available for inspection if required. 5 Access to a bedroom, bathroom and WC should be arranged without having to pass through another room (other than a living room) on a separate floor. In an existing dwelling, where a bathroom or WC cannot otherwise be provided, access may be gained through a kitchen. 6 External access should be provided to the rear garden of a house. This standard will be deemed to be satisfied where access is available through a garage without entering the house. In addition, a way through the house from front to back, avoiding habitable rooms, should also be provided.

Residential Layout Guidelines

February 1996

Table two Accommodation with : Minimum garden area (sq. metres) Minimum depth from rear wall of house (metres)

1-2 bedrooms 3 bedrooms 4 or more bedrooms

37.2 60.0 100.0

7.6 10.0 10.0

7 Direct access should be provided to a public highway or to a non-adoptable road, designed to the satisfaction of the Borough Council's Engineering Services Manager.

may lead to the minimum depth of gardens being greater than that detailed in table two. 12 For communal dwellings such as sheltered or retirement homes, a minimum area of 25 sq. metres per dwelling for private amenity space may be considered appropriate. In such cases the amenity space should be reasonably related to the dwellings for which it is intended. 13 The standard size for private amenity space and garden areas should be regarded as an absolute minimum in order to allow for provision of adequate outside storage, leisure use, clothes drying and play space. Larger garden areas will be necessary where the accommodation has five or more bedrooms. This is to ensure that development does not appear cramped and out of character with adjoining properties. 14 Where a new development is just satisfying the minimum required standard, the Borough Council will normally remove the permitted development rights to extend dwellings, having regard to the density of development and to the amenity of the area. 15 Calculation of private garden areas shall exclude the area used for the parking or garaging of private motor vehicles.

Natural lighting
8 Whenever practical, all kitchens and bathrooms shall be provided with openable windows. All glazing to windows in bathrooms shall be obscure.

Private garden area

9 New dwellings, and existing dwellings when extended, shall have the minimum areas for private amenity space as shown in table two (above) 10 Notwithstanding the above, greater depths/areas may be required where gardens incorporate steep gradients, preserved trees, or if there is garaging or parking at the rear. In exceptional circumstances, it may be appropriate for the minimum garden depths and areas referred to (above) to be modified. In these cases, each scheme will be considered on its individual merits, having particular regard to any exceptional circumstances and all other material considerations. 11 In all cases, the Borough Council's minimum privacy distances should be met. This

Gravesham Borough Council

Supplementary Planning Guidance

Privacy distances and overshadowing

16 All applications for new dwellings (including flats) will be expected to comply with the Borough Council's privacy distances and guidance on overshadowing. The standards specified protect the privacy and amenity of the occupiers of existing and proposed dwellings and protect against loss of light and overshadowing from obstructing buildings. 17 Where windows of habitable rooms face each other (whether across a road, pedestrian way or private garden) a window-to-window distance of at least 21 metres should be provided. Habitable rooms are defined as bedrooms and living areas, but specifically exclude kitchens and bathrooms. 18 In addition, a minimum distance of 21 metres shall be provided between the windows of habitable rooms and the private garden area of any dwelling. A private garden area is defined as the first five metres of garden adjacent to the rear of the dwelling. 19 For "single aspect" dwellings, the minimum distance from the window of a habitable room to any house wall of equivalent height containing no habitable room windows can be reduced to 11 metres. 20 In all cases, the privacy distances will be applied on the basis of the principles set out in figure 1 on "fields of view" which are illustrated below.

Figure 1
For facing windows to habitable rooms, where there is no private garden area within the "field of view", diagram below applies.* For facing windows to habitable rooms, where there is a private garden area within the "field of view", diagram below applies.* If the field of view is in the position indicated below, then the development will be deemed to be satisfactory.

21m

26m

* A 90 field of view is measured from the central point of a window of a habitable room on any elevation, to where it overlaps a 90 field of view from the central point of a window to a habitable room on any elevation of another property.

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Private garden area

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90

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90

Residential Layout Guidelines

February 1996

21 In order to protect against overshadowing, all applications for residential development will be expected to comply with the "25 rule", described below. 22 First, draw a section in plane, perpendicular to each affected main window wall of the existing building. From the centre of the lowest window, from the horizontal, measure an angle of 25 . If any part of the new development obstructs the 25 line, overshadowing and loss of light may occur.

Existing building

New development

Section in plane perpendicular to the affected window wall

Figure 2

Flats, maisonettes and bedsitters

23 In considering whether to permit applications for flats, maisonettes and bedsitters, whether new-build or for conversions, the Borough Council will first need to be satisfied that the development is acceptable in principle. In this respect, regard will be had to all relevant policies in the Gravesham Local Plan 1st Review. 24 Table three (below) provides guidance on floor areas which would be acceptable, from a planning point of view, for typical rooms. Function of room Double bedroom Single bedroom Living room Dining room Kitchen Kitchen/diner Longe/diner Bathroom & WC Bathroom only WC only Bedsits (including Kitchen/bthrm/WC) Hallways & landings Floorspace 11.2 sq. m. 6.5 13.2 9.5 7.2 12.0 18.0 3.5 2.8 1.3 30.0 900mm width 24 (cont) Units with three or more bedrooms will be expected to have separate dining facilities, or be provided with kitchen/diners or lounge/diners which are significantly larger than the minimum floorspace requirements. 25 Access to a bedroom, bathroom and WC should be arranged without having to pass through another room, other than a living room, on a separate floor. In a conversion, where a bathroom or WC cannot otherwise be provided, access may be gained through a kitchen. 26 Access to units should not involve a climb through more than two storeys to the entrance doors, unless access is also provided, or the second storey is comprised of individual units on two levels. 27 No unit of accommodation shall be wholly below ground level. Basements should normally be combined with ground floors, to form "family" maisonettes. 28 Rooms shall be arranged so that living rooms and bedrooms of different units do not directly adjoin each other, whether on separate floors, or on either side of a party wall.

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Centre of lowest window

25

Gravesham Borough Council

Supplementary Planning Guidance

Natural lighting
29 Whenever practical, all kitchens and bathrooms shall be provided with openable windows. All glazing to windows in bathrooms shall be obscure. 30 All applications for new-build developments must also comply with the Borough Council's guidance on "privacy distances" and on "overshadowing", as detailed in paragraphs 16 to 21 of this supplementary planning guidance.

Refuse storage
32 Refuse containers shall be provided on a hardstanding and within purpose-built enclosures, which are readily accessible for collection.

Play space provision

33 In addition to the advice set out in this document, all planning applications for new flats and dwellings will be expected to comply with the Borough Council's advice on the provision of play space and open space. A supplementary planning guidance note entitled "Outdoor playing space provision in new residential development" will be published at a future date.

Amenity space
31 In any new building, space about buildings should be provided appropriate to the area and type of unit. This is in addition to any space required under vehicle parking standards, and for drying grounds, footpaths and access ways internal to the layout. For communal flats, a communal garden area equivalent to a minimum of 10 sq. metres shall be provided for amenity space. For self-contained units (not necessarily communal) which have two or more bedrooms and are capable of providing family accommodation, an area of amenity space in excess of 10 sq. metres will be expected. Such amenity space shall be of sufficient size to accommodate the following activities :

Need further advice?

This document is for guidance only. For further advice, please contact: Planning and Regeneration Services Civic Centre Windmill Street Gravesend Kent DA12 1AU Tel. - 01474 33 76 88 email - [email protected] fax - 01474 33 79 42 minicom - 01474 33 76 17 website - www.gravesham.gov.uk

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children's play space; drying area; limited outside storage; sitting out; general leisure use.

Access to the garden area from any unit must be achieved without passing through other units of accommodation.