Practical Advice: Planning Permission Guidelines

Think you may need extension or orangery planning permission? Take a look at our rules and regulations guidelines

Planning permission can be very confusing for many. Put simply, UK planning permission is the formal permission from a local authority for the erection or alteration of buildings or similar development. Permission is granted if the proposed work complies with stringent, and often complex and numerous, regulations.

Where glazed extensions are concerned, due to the huge variety of sizes and shapes available, it’s no wonder then that the process can quickly become complicated.

A recent guide to improving your home put together by Sainsbury’s bank states that when considering an extension “you should speak to a building professional such as a chartered surveyor, an architect or a building design service to ?nd out the following:

• Whether planning permission and a building warrant would be required and how to go about applying for permission.
• If you are in a designated area such as a conservation area, a national park, an area of outstanding natural beauty or are in a listed building. In these cases the rules are stricter.
• How large your extension can be and where it can be located, including how close to your boundary line you can go. This can be dependent on the type of house you live in and whether it is detached, semi-detached, terraced or a ?at.”

In some circumstances, however, planning permission may not be required. This depends on the following criteria:

• The glazed extension does not cover more than half of the land surrounding the original house (also including room taken up by other buildings such as sheds).
• The extension should be less than a maximum depth of three metres for an attached house, and four metres for a detached house, and has a maximum height of four metres for a single-storey rear extension.
• The extension does not front a highway.
• Side of house how do i buy hydrocodone extensions must be less than half the length of the original building.
• The maximum eaves height should be no higher than the eaves of the existing house. This means that the highest part of the extension should be no higher than the roof ridge line of the existing house.

However, if the property is listed or in a conservation area (should the extension be to the front elevation), approval is likely to be required before any work is undertaken. Furthermore, designated areas (which include national parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage sites) also have stringent regulations regarding the choice of materials which can be used on the exterior of the extension and therefore also require further consideration.

It’s also worth noting that certain additional details such as verandas and balconies may also require planning permission.

However, whilst the majority of homeowners are to a certain extent aware of the need for planning permission, many are unaware that they can also apply for a ‘Certificate of Lawful Development’ either before or during the project. This document is proof that the correct legal steps have been taken and is evidence that the project is lawful. This can save an awful lot of heartache and anxiety if potential buyers and their solicitors ask probing questions during any future sale of the property.

Without a doubt, the details of planning permission are complex, and so it is always beneficial to involve a reputable designer/manufacturer such as Westbury when planning a glazed timber extension. At the project outset we will advise you about what steps you need to take to ensure your build is within the legal requirements and will even manage the application process for you.