Do I Need To Get Planning Permission?

Planning permission obligations probably won’t be at the forefront of your mind if you have decided to extend space at the rear of your house with a conservatory or orangery or improve your entrance courtesy of a porch installation.

Edwardian Conservatory

In fact, thoughts about planning permission may not have entered into your head at all as you may be oblivious to this potential requirement.

Clearview certainly doesn’t overlook planning permission as we know how important an issue it is. Any time a customer orders these types of products we tell them all they need to know about planning permission, and when necessary, then take care of everything involved in obtaining it so they don’t have to.

A big point to make is that when you enjoy Permitted Development Rights you don’t need to put a planning application in and can start work straight away.

A home extension is a Permitted Development if all of the following 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.
  • 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.

Porches can sometimes be classified as Permitted Developments too, but only when all of these limits and conditions are satisfied:

  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.

 

Any home extension or porch that falls outside of the rules relating to Permitted Development Rights requires planning permission. A FREE document all about planning permission is available to download on our Helpful Guides page, or just give us a call for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Everyone is welcome to come in and browse around our Preston showroom in Lancashire, or our Nantwich & Warrington showrooms in Cheshire, where our friendly sales team will be pleased to help with any questions you may have.

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