Restoration & Refurbishment

House seller has cert of completion but no planning permission?

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.50 PM

We are in the process of purchasing a victorian terraced house in an area of outstanding natural beauty and a conservation area. The house had a single story kitchen extension built on the back of the house by the previous owner to the seller. We have evidence of a building control completion certificate, but no planning permission, and the sellers solicitors tells us the seller “thinks” it was built under permited development. Due to not having the best of conveyancing solicitors we made the mistake of emailing the council for clarification (who have not responded); and now have found out this prevents us from getting indemnity insurance. Question, Is it possible to have a completion certificate for an extension without planning permission / certificate of legality proving permitted development or is a completion certificate enough, to cover the threat of the council requiring the extension to be pulled down in a worse case scenario? Is the Completion Certificate effectively all we need? And can proceed with purchase or should we hold out for certificate of legality / clarification of planning permission, retrospective or otherwise.