Conservatory regulations
Will you need planning permission to put up your conservatory? Can you put a conservatory on the back of your terraced house? Do you live in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?
Here are the answers to these and many more questions.
Specific planning permission is not normally required if the following guidelines are met:
A detached or semi-detached dwelling may be extended without planning permission (subject to the following conditions) by up to 70 cubic metres or 15% of the volume of the original house, whichever is the greater (to a maximum of 115 m³).
A terraced house (or a house in a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a conservation area or other specifically designated area) may be extended by up to 50m³ or 10% of the volume of the house.
The property has NOT had its permitted development rights withdrawn.
The overall height of the conservatory must not exceed 4m when the conservatory is less than 2m from any boundary. The height of the conservatory may equal the height of the house above original ground level.
The conservatory must be used for domestic purposes.
No part of the conservatory should be closer to the highway than the nearest part of the original house, unless there would be at least 20m between the house (as extended) and the highway.
Planning permission is required if:
The property has had its permitted development rights withdrawn.
The proposed conservatory is on any wall fronting the highway. (‘Highway’ includes all public roads, footpaths, bridleways and byways.) This may include the side and / or rear of the property.
The property is a listed building or in a conservation area.
The property is non-residential or anything other than a single dwelling. Flats and apartments always need planning permission.
The conservatory is higher than any part of the original building.
The conservatory and other additions to the original house exceed 50% of the total area of the garden within the boundaries of the property.
Eaves, fascias, foundations or guttering encroach over the boundaries of the property.
Building regulations
Generally speaking, conservatories and sunrooms are exempted from building regulations.
Below are some of the Exemption Criteria --- under the Building Regulations 1991 (as amended). These criteria must be met for a conservatory extension to be classified as exempt:
- The extension has a transparent or translucent roof.
- The extension walls are substantially glazed (should not have more than 25% of its wall area as brickwork)
- The extension has a floor area not exceeding 30m².
- The extension is sited at ground level.
- The extension is permanently separated from the remainder of the property by a door.
- The extension is not permanently heated.
- The glazing satisfies the requirements of part N, Schedule 1 (toughened/safety glass).
- The extension does not contain any drainage facilities (i.e. sink, WC or washing machine).
Please note: Oakland Conservatories Limited has produced these notes as general guidelines. For the avoidance of doubt, please consult your local council. Council policy may sometimes vary.
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