Are You Up To Date With Planning Permission?

If you’re looking to extend your property this year with a conservatory or orangery you need to know about planning rules as you may have to obtain planning permission before your new extension is built.

We make this very clear to any wannabe conservatory or orangery owners that request our help in making it happen as ignorance of planning laws can lead to a host of negative consequences, including a potential ruling that the extension is torn down.

The entire team at Permaframe knows everything there is to know about planning laws and won’t let you make any costly mistakes.

For instance, they will advise you that you don’t need to bother submitting a planning application if your new extension is a ‘permitted development’ as you have an automatic right to go ahead and have it built.

To enjoy permitted development rights, the extension must be in line with the following 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.
• These increased limits (between 3m and 6m and between 4m and 8m respectively) are subject to the prior notification of the proposal to the Local Planning Authority and the implementation of a neighbour consultation scheme. If objections are received, the proposal might not be allowed.
• 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.

If it’s a porch that you want built, these are the limits and conditions the porch needs to satisfy to be considered a permitted development:

1. The ground floor area (measured externally) would not exceed three square metres.
2. No part would be more than three metres above ground level (height needs to be measured in the same way as for a house extension).
3. No part of the porch would be within two metres of any boundary of the dwellinghouse and the highway.

If it turns out that you do need to put a planning application together, Permaframe will help you organise it.

More information about planning permission can be found in a Helpful Guide we have written about the subject.