• In the last two years applications to build or extend residential basements in Great Britain have increased by nine per cent
• On average, 74 per cent of residential basement applications were approved
• London has seen the biggest increase in applications, up 11 per cent
   

New research from Direct Line’s SELECT Premier Insurance1 reveals applications to build or extend basements in residential properties increased by nine per cent between 2013 and 2015. In 2015 at least 1,968 planning applications were made to local councils in Great Britain, of which around three quarters (74 per cent) were granted.

A huge proportion (75 per cent) of all basement planning applications in 2015 were made in London, compared to regions like Wales and Yorkshire which received less than one per cent of planning applications.

In the Capital there has been an 11 per cent increase in planning applications for residential basements, up from 1,348 in 2013 to 1,497 in 2015. Second to London is the South East, which has seen an eight per cent increase in planning applications, up from 153 in 2013 to 165 in 2015. When combined, London and the South East account for the vast majority of basement applications in Britain in 2015.
 

Table one: Basement applications in Great Britain

Source: Direct Line’s SELECT Premier Insurance, 2016
 

Nick Brabham, head of SELECT Premier Insurance, says: “With house prices on the increase, especially in places like London and the South East, it makes sense that British homeowners are doing everything they can to their properties in order to maximise space and value. Over the past twenty years loft conversions have been a popular choice for extending a property and now a growing number of property owners are building downwards to create additional space in a basement. This can be ideal for those living in towns and cities where extending outwards is impossible due to living in terraced and semidetached properties, or where large above ground extensions are prohibited.”

There is a clear relationship between the regions which are seeing increases in applications to build basements and the average house price in that region. London has the highest average house price of any British region (£457,759) and the largest proportion of residential basement applications (75 per cent). Property prices are so high for those living in London that extending existing properties may be a more cost effective, less disruptive alternative to moving home.

The regions with the lowest average house prices like the North East (£121,085) and Scotland (£134,625) had two of the smallest shares of residential basement applications in Great Britain (0.4 per cent and 0.6 per cent proportionately).

In terms of successful applications, the North West (90 per cent) and West Midlands (87 per cent) saw the highest proportion of applications approved by local councils. All planning departments across British regions approved at least two thirds of residential basement applications in 2015.

Nick Brabham, head of SELECT Premier Insurance, continued: “If you are considering building a basement, make sure you get planning permission from your local council. Basement works can sometimes cause disruption to surrounding properties, so make sure your neighbours are aware. You may even need written consent from them if you share a wall.

“As with any major building work, your insurance provider needs to be informed as it affects the structure of the property you insure. There are additional implications if you are adding bedrooms too, so it’s worth having a conversation with your provider before undertaking any expensive works.”

ENDS

Notes to editors
 

• 1Freedom of Information request submitted to 443 local councils across the United Kingdom on 4th August 2016. Of the total number of councils, 293 had access to information on basement applications.  Through a combination of direct FOI responses .and researchers analysing local council websites where directed in FOI responses we collated total responses of usable data from 166. This represents a usable response rate of 57 per cent. All regions reported in this release achieved usable response rates of 50 per cent or more. Insufficient data received for Northern Ireland so all figures in this release refer to Great Britain only.
• 2Average house prices taken from official Land Registry House Price Index - http://landregistry.data.gov.uk/app/ukhpi
   

For further information please contact:

Claire Foster 

Direct Line

01651831672

07525665504

[email protected]

About SELECT Premier Insurance

Direct Line offers SELECT Premier Insurance to cover homes, cars and valuables of high worth, as well as breakdown cover, pet and travel insurance, all covered under just one policy. When taking out SELECT Premier Insurance, Direct Line will even pay your cancellation charges from your previous policy, making it even easier and affordable to have all your policies under one roof, with one payment plan and one renewal date.

At SELECT Premier Insurance we help you stay in control by offering you a truly personal service. To begin with, one of our accredited insurance advisors will carry out a complimentary individual telephone review with you. Then they’ll give you tailored advice, based on your unique needs, for example, specialist cover for valuables such as fine art and jewellery (without needing to list individual items worth less than £10,000) or for your property portfolio, to ensure you get exactly the right level of cover.

To find out more about what Direct Line SELECT Premier can offer, go to www.directline.com/select or go straight through to an expert, not a machine, on 0800 206 2849

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