Advice re Planning Permission

JamesCG26

Hi Everyone

I was wondering if someone would be able to help. We have booked to have a conservatory built in July but we were looking at the local authority website today and it looks like we will have to apply for planning permission. Is this right? Our installer originally said we wouldn't need to.

We have a semi detached house, it doesn't take up more than 50% of the garden, house is in it's original format and there are no building restrictions on the house or in the area. Measurements are as follows approximatley:

projection out from the house: 3.8m
width along the house: 3.9m
height, at tallest point is: 3.3m

Any advice would be greatly received.

Cheers

Cknocker

Does the website give a reason for requiring planning permission? Speak to a planning offiecer at the council, they will give you a definitive answer.

JamesCG26

It's because it cannot be more than 3meters out from the house, 4 meters for a detached. I did call the planning people but they just pointed me to the planningportal website. She said as long as it was less the 30 sq meters it would meet building regulations but other than that she couldn't advise. They have this scheme where you send them your plans for £35 and they say if you need to apply for permission or not. Will probably do that, but it means pushing the date back to have it installed. My misses is pregnant and we were hoping to have it done before baby arrives.

Cknocker

What a bunch of Charlatans! They should tell you without charging!
Be careful building regs and planning are two different things and two different departments of the council and they don't like talking to each other.

The 3 metres is certainly a requiremnt for an extension, I am unsure if it applies to a conservatory.

Cknocker

Yes it does apply to conservatories, so unless you can bring the depth to less than 3m you will need planning permission.

Meepster

Cknocker wrote: »

Yes it does apply to conservatories, so unless you can bring the depth to less than 3m you will need planning permission.

Cknocker is spot on, any extension to a building (and a conservatory is classed as this) over 3m will require planning permission. Just be thankful you don't live in Scotland, gots a lot more difficult up here...

bobby9205

We've had this problem too, ours projects only 2.5 m on a detached house but because the previous owner had a extension built which already projects 3m - this will take us upto 5.5m projection hence the need for planning permission!

What really annoys me is that planning will not accept my drawings and that I need full plans as its classed just like a normal extension! Its a bloody conservartory! So its now going to cost me an extra £500 to get plans drawn up, thanks planners I thought the planning process was supposed to get easier!

macman

You didn't mention if you are in a conservation area or not? If so you wil need planning permission regardless of the depth of the conservatory.

brig001

Does this help clarify things: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/hhg/houseguide.html
(Takes a while to load, then click launch)