The human version (we wrote this, not the council)
This policy supports residential annexes, which are ancillary living spaces for family members or dependants of the main household. An annexe must remain subordinate to the main dwelling, share its access and garden, and be designed so it can be brought back into the main home rather than becoming a separate dwelling. It cannot be sold or occupied independently. Applicants must submit a statement justifying the need for the annexe, the connection of its occupants to the household, and its proposed floor area.
An unofficial plain English summary. The official wording below is
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The text below is extracted automatically from the official PDF and may
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HO11: Residential annexes
1. Proposals for residential annexes will be supported where all the following criteria are met:
a) The proposed annexe is intended for occupation by a person(s) with a close family, dependency or equivalent relationship with the occupiers of the main dwelling.
b) The annexe will remain ancillary to and functionally linked to the main dwelling and be of a scale and design that is clearly subordinate to it.
c) The annexe is designed so that it can be readily incorporated back into the main dwelling and will not be capable of independent occupation as a separate dwelling.
d) The annexe shares vehicular access and garden/ amenity space with the main dwelling, and there is no subdivision or physical demarcation that would undermine its ancillary status unless an alternative arrangement demonstrably maintains that relationship.
e) Where the annexe is created as an extension, it should normally include an internal connection to the main dwelling, unless it can be demonstrated that an alternative arrangement would not compromise its ancillary function.
f) Where an annexe is created through the conversion of an existing outbuilding or through a new detached structure: it must be in proximity to the main dwelling; and
g) It must be located within the residential curtilage of the host dwelling.
h) The annexe will not be severed, sold or occupied independently from the main dwelling.
i) Proposals must also comply with policies BE4 and BE5, ensuring that development is appropriate in terms of design, character and residential amenity.
7.67 A residential annexe is accommodation that is ancillary to the main dwelling, within the residential curtilage and which provides additional accommodation for members of the same family, for example older relatives who require support or older children seeking a degree of independence, or others with a demonstrable link to the host dwelling including for domestic staff accommodation.
7.68 An annexe can be created through an extension to an existing dwelling, the conversion of an existing outbuilding or through construction of a new detached building. An extension is normally the most appropriate, as it better integrates the annexe into the dwelling for the use of shared facilities and for access, as well as normally minimising the impact on the surrounding area. The next most appropriate would be the conversion of an existing building, while if neither of these are possible then a new building for the annexe may be acceptable. Annexes, as a new building, are more likely to be appropriate in the built-up area rather than the open countryside.
7.69 A statement providing justification for why the proposed annexe is required and how the intended occupant(s) is/ are connected to the main dwelling must be provided by the applicant. The statement should also provide justification for the proposed floor area for the annexe, which should be the minimum level of accommodation required to support the needs of the occupant(s) and indicate what the functional relationship of the annexe to the main dwelling would be.