What Planning Permission Do You Need For A Conservatory Or Orangery?

There’s now less than two months to go now until Christmas. Have you started drawing up your Christmas wish list? Right at the very top of the wish lists of some local householders is a conservatory or orangery.

Spending Christmas in these most glamorous of locations is something really special and they provide the perfect setting for the Christmas dinner. But, before anyone gets too far ahead of themselves they need to check whether any potential conservatory or orangery installation will require planning permission.

Breaching planning laws can prove disastrous! Your local authority could order you to make expensive modifications to the design to bring it in-line with the rules or even worse, tell you to completely knock it down and return the site back to how it was. You could also find it difficult selling the property in the future if a prospective buyer discovers that you have an extension that flouts planning laws (and believe us, they will find out).

You know you’re in the clear when it comes to planning permission and free to commence with the installation if all of these limits and conditions are met:

• 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.

When you have “Permitted Development Rights” you’re also free to proceed with things. They apply 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 30^th May 2019.

For clarity on the issue, speak to the planning department at your local authority, or leave it to Eden Windows to sort out. If a planning application needs to be submitted we can also help with that. Book a 1 hour appointment today and let’s make your Christmas dream come true.