Spring is nearly here, but you wouldn’t think it was going off the weather, which remains chilly, to say the least.
There will be a hefty proportion of conservatory owners who are desperate for the weather to get better so that they can be reunited with their extension.
If you’re one of these people, you don’t need to wait impatiently for conditions to improve. The addition of a solid tiled roof will make your conservatory useable, come rain or shine.
But before you go ahead and allow a company like Pennine to take out your existing roof and integrate a solid roof, you must determine whether you need planning permission first. And there are other rules to consider too…
- If the roof you are having removed is a traditional glass or polycarbonate translucent roof, you will have to get Building Regulatory Approval first.
- To improve your chances of being granted Building Regulatory Approval, look out for a LABC (Local Authority Building Control) and LABSS (Local Authority Building Standards Scotland) approved solid roof, just like our cutting-edge Fusion Roof. It is one of the very few solid roofing systems to have received an endorsement from both authorities, who recognise it as being a safe and suitable building product. For compliance reasons, the Building Control Officer involved may request that you adapt the roof to include roof and trickle vents so that it offers adequate ventilation.
- Making the switch from a glass roof to a solid roof will result in a “change of use”. What that means is that what was previously considered to be a temporary extension, now becomes a permanent extension. When a “change of use” occurs, planning permission is usually necessary.
- If you can’t remember, check to see if you had to obtain planning approval to have the conservatory installed in the first place. If it turns out that you did, and the conservatory has a translucent roof, you will need to apply for planning permission and submit a full building regulations application.
- Can you recollect if the conservatory came under Permitted Development Rights? You have an automatic right to proceed with a conservatory installation without planning permission when this is the case, so long as various limits and conditions are satisfied. When you add a solid roof, Permitted Development Rights no longer apply, and an application for planning permission must be submitted.
You can always speak to your local authority building control team for guidance with solid roof installations. Visit the LABC website to get their details.
Pennine can also be relied on for incisive support, being the North East’s foremost solid roof supplier.