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PLANNING
AND BUILDING CONSENTS IN FRANCE
By Andrew & Fiona Burrows
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Andrew
and Fiona Burrows are qualified British surveyors
who live and work in France.
This
article appeared in French Property News, September
2002 |
One of the
real joys of living in rural France is the pleasure of being
part of a community. Small wonder then that many of our clients
are people retiring from the UK, or planning their retirement
by buying a property to refurbish over the next few years. Not
only do they rediscover the community spirit that has sadly
disappeared from so many parts of Great Britain; the move also
releases equity from their British home, with which to enjoy
their retirement. They are financially better off in the process.
As part of a small community, you want to do things properly
– to start on the right note. You may be buying a property
that needs little work, but restoring an older building can
also be an enormously satisfying and rewarding experience. In
general you will find that the French planning authorities welcome
the English interest, and have a positive and helpful attitude
towards refurbishment proposals. Although the language barrier
may make it difficult for them to express this, they are delighted
to see abandoned building stock refurbished, particularly when
the work is done with due care and consideration for the vernacular
style.
Many of our clients approach us for a pre-purchase survey, but
for others we can be the first step in the design and planning
stage of the refurbishment. Your building needs to “live
and breathe”; and if you are about to put it to more active
use, you need to consider how it may behave as a result. The
conversion of a grain loft to bedrooms will require insulation,
of course, but the work should be carried out in a way that
still allows the roof timbers to breath. Current recommendations
include the use of organic lambs wool, for example. Many buildings
have solid stone walls, and mistakes are often made with cement-based
mortars for repointing or rendering. This may give rise to problems
with internal dampness and other destructive side effects, all
unnecessary when the traditional lime-based alternatives are
still readily available.
If you have bought a property that has been a dwelling before,
but wish to change the external appearance in any way, you will
need to make a Déclaration de Travaux.
This is the basic form of planning application in France, which
has to be accompanied by drawings and/or photographs to illustrate
the proposed changes. Location and site plans are also required.
A response is guaranteed within one month – you are entitled
to assume approval of your proposals if you have not heard to
the contrary within that period. What would one have given for
such a system in the UK!
If, however, you have bought a property that has never been
lived in, or you want to make additions to an existing dwelling
that amount to more than 20m, you will need to make an application
for a Permis de Construire. This is
a more detailed application for which a full set of drawings
is required (floor plans, sections and elevations), of the building(s)
“as existing” and “as proposed”, together
with location and site plans. Gross and net floor areas have
to be calculated; and a written statement describing the proposals
in the context of the local environment (with photographs),
a plan of the gardens and grounds including site levels, and
a freehand sketch of the property as it will look after the
refurbishment, all have to be submitted. The timescale for a
decision is normally two months, although this is extended to
three months if the property is in an area where the Bâtiments
de France (broadly the equivalent of English Heritage) must
be consulted. Our general experience is that applications are
decided well within that period (one recently came through within
a fortnight!); and the conservation architects of Bâtiments
de France (where involved) are generally more sympathetic and
positive in their approach than many of their English counterparts.
Before you embark on a project, check whether the property is
within an area covered by a specific Local Plan (Plan
d’occupation des sols). Such a Plan may
contain policies fundamentally relevant to what you want to
do. Don’t assume that all buildings in the countryside
can be converted to residential use. There are rules that discourage
the conversion of more isolated agricultural buildings, unless
the proposal is to create gîtes or to promote
tourism in general.
Any planning application made now will immediately trigger questions
about any private drainage system at the property, and whether
it conforms with the 1998 regulations. A majority of older systems
do not. Failing to deal with this issue at the outset can cause
unnecessary delays. If the property is not on mains drainage
(tout à l’égout) you should commission
an étude du sol (soil survey).
This is relatively inexpensive (about £250-300).
We have found a wealth of skilled traditional artisans here
in rural France, but we recommend that you bring your patience
with you when you move, in order to wait for the right man to
be available for the job – and never be shy to question
the qualifications of the people you are employing, whether
they are “professionals” or “craftsman”.
Contact
Mr & Mrs Burrows at:
Tel
:
0033 297 39 45 53
Fax: 0033
297 39 49 30
E-mail:
burrowhutch@aol.com
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