all these questions should have been answered by your GU/planner, especially if the previously planned house was suddenly thrown out the window from their side. But I wonder why they do that on their own when your plan was largely finished or already submitted to the building authority. Of course, you can't just sneak in a basement, because that would lead to completely new/different conditions/possibilities, not least for the living spaces, entrances, etc. Then you are basically back to almost zero, which in the end could be the better option for your desired planning; it certainly won’t be the cheaper one, and I find it questionable that a basement could be constructed cost-neutral just like that, and I would be interested in the whole context regarding that.