Whenever you want to make a significant change to your home, especially to the exterior, it’s important to consider whether you need to get planning permission. If you don’t get planning permission when you need to, the consequences could be having any changes reversed. However, it’s usually easy enough to determine whether planning permission is required.
In the case of building a conservatory, planning permission is not required in the majority of cases. There may be a few occasions, however, where it is necessary to seek planning permission for a conservatory.
Conservatories and Permitted Development
Most of the time, planning permission won’t be required for a conservatory. That’s because they usually fall under permitted development rules. The law sets out the size a conservatory can be before it requires planning permission, which was increased in 2019.
According to the Planning Portal, a conservatory falls under the same rules as any other extension. This means that there are a few rules to follow regarding the size a conservatory can be before it requires planning permission.
These include:
An exception to the rule about the size of your conservatory is that if your home is a Site of Special Scientific Interest or is on Article 2(3) designated land. This includes conservation areas, areas of outstanding beauty, and National Parks. In these cases, an extension can only extend by half the amount (4 metres for detached houses or 3 metres for other houses).
It’s also important to note that the “original house” is the house as it was first built or how it stood on 1st July 1948.
When You Need Planning Permission for a Conservatory
If your plans for your conservatory don’t fall within the permitted development rules, you will need to apply for planning permission. Of course, Listed buildings will also require permission for a conservatory or any other extension.
In addition to planning permission, you might need to consider building regulations. Building regulations are not usually required for a conservatory, as long as it’s officially categorised as a conservatory. This means that it must be attached to an exterior wall and needs to have its own independent heating system. If you wish to remove exterior walls or doors, you will need building regulations for your conservatory. This will require you to submit structural, working drawings, and heat-loss calculations to building control.
Enquire About Your Conservatory
Most conservatories don’t require planning permission. If you wish to know more, get in touch to speak to our team about designing the perfect conservatory for your home.
