I have an attic which is about 5' in the centre, pitched over a pan of about 6 meters. The roof is pitched and slate. We currently use it for storage. Can it be converted into living space with the relevant planning permission?

I'm really hoping someone might have some insight as to what is happening with our foundation, and how we might go about fixing it. Our two story house in Northern New Jersey was built in the 1930's and, as far as we can tell from inside the unfinished basement, the foundation is made up of rough grey concrete or cinder blocks, maybe 8" tall x 11"wide, and I don't know how deep. Now, almost all of these blocks are in fine condition, but there are maybe 5 to 10 blocks, all located near (but not necessarily next to) each other along the east wall of the house, which seem to be slowly disintegrating; little bits are constantly crumbling off the face of the block. The blocks that are crumbling seem as if they might be damper than the others, but we can't tell for sure. Anyone have any clue as to why this is happening to some blocks but not all? Most importantly, any advice on what we can do to stop the deterioration before it affects the safetly and stability of our home? Your input would be greatly appreciated.