How do I know I will get planning permission before I buy my flat? | Money | guardian.co.uk

How do I know I will get planning permission before I buy my flat? | Money | guardian.co.uk

Q I'm a first-time buyer and I've got my eye on a ground-floor studio flat at the back of a shop in Highbury in north London. It's pretty run-down, rather dark and tiny (around 32 sq m), but the main attraction is that it has some outdoor space to the side and back of the flat. I'd love to create a glass-roofed siding, and also add a couple of metres at the back, bringing it to the same depth as the neighbour's extension. This would leave a (very) small patio area.

The problem is, I've got no idea whether I'd be granted planning permission. I've heard that even if a neighbouring house has an extension, that doesn't mean your application will necessarily be successful – and next door's does look as though it may have been added in the 60s or 70s when the rules were a bit more relaxed. I've spoken to the vendor and she said she applied for planning permission last year, but it was declined because the architect 'got the drawings wrong'. Is there any way I can check this?

The flat is a fantastic bargain for Highbury (they've agreed £170,000), but I'm worried I won't be able to live somewhere so small and gloomy if my plans for turning it into a luxury pad fall apart.

A Yes you can check whether the vendor applied for planning permission.......