Do I Need Planning Permission?
This is a question we often receive from a customer considering adding a conservatory or orangery to their home and a very sensible question it is too!
Planning laws exist with good reason – to protect our landscape.
Breaching planning laws can be costly whether done deliberately or innocently as your local authority may force you to tear the structure down. The two alternative options open to them are to either ask you to make specific modifications to the design to bring it in line with planning regulations or submit a retrospective planning application. They are well in their rights to turn a retrospective planning application down if they feel it is justified.
Non-compliance with planning laws could also cause you problems when selling. If a prospective buyer discovers that a certain feature of your house falls foul of them, they are highly unlikely to want to proceed with a sale, leaving you stuck to say the least.
You’re in the clear with your new conservatory or orangery installation if it meets all of these limits and conditions:
- No more than half the area of land around the “original house”* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
- No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.
- No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof.
- Single-storey rear extension must not extend beyond the rear wall of the original house* by more than three metres if an attached house or by four metres if a detached house.
- In addition, outside Article 2(3) designated land* and Sites of Special Scientific Interest the limit is increased to 6m if an attached house and 8m if a detached house until 30 May 2019.
- Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.
- Extensions of more than one storey must not extend beyond the rear wall of the original house* by more than three metres.
- Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.
- Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than existing house.
- Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
- Two-storey extensions no closer than seven metres to rear boundary.
- Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing house.
- Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
- Upper-floor, side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor.
- On designated land* no permitted development for rear extensions of more than one storey.
- On designated land no cladding of the exterior.
- On designated land no side extensions.
* The term “original house” means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.
* Designated land includes conservation areas, national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and World Heritage Sites.
You don’t need to be concerned about the above if the proposed extension is considered to be a “permitted development”. Permitted development rights are applicable to single storey rear extensions between 3 metres and 6 metres (for an attached house) and 4 metres and 8 metres (for a detached house) built before 30th May 2019.
Pennine is very happy to answer any questions you have about planning permission. Use our callback service to receive a phone call from one of our consultants.