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Do I need Planning Permission for a Conservatory or Home Extension?
- Phoebe
- Feb 6
- 5 min read
A very commonly asked question! Well, the short answer is, no, you do not need planning permission for some conservatories. Smaller conservatories and single-story home extensions often do not require planning permission, providing you meet the criteria of permitted development rights (more on this below). However, there are certain properties or extensions that would not be applicable for these rights and that is where the answer becomes, yes, some conservatories do need planning permission. Read on through this handy Cousins Guide to find out more about your eligibility for permitted development and the simple options you have available if not.
Permitted Development Rights
Many people are able to build conservatories or single-story home extensions, without the need for planning permission, under permitted development rights. This allows people to add extra space and value to their homes without the need to go through the planning permission process, providing they fit certain criteria.
Permitted Development Checklist
As part of the current permitted development legislation, you may not need to apply for planning permission for a conservatory if:
· It isn’t over 4 metres high (or higher than your house)
· It isn’t bigger than half of the footprint of the original house
· It doesn’t extend more than 4 metres in the case of a detached property, or 3 metres for a non-detached.
· It will be an extension to a home which is not a listed property
· It will not be within a conservation area or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
When do Permitted Development Rights not apply?
There are some exceptions to the permitted development regulations whereby the above criteria may not apply and planning permission would still need to be sought.
Pre-extended Property
Building a conservatory onto an already extended property is subject to different limitations and regulations. In many cases, you cannot attach a conservatory to a pre-existing extension and it instead must be attached to the wall of the original property, however, you would need to contact your local council in order to explore the regulations and options for your specific dwelling.
New Build Property
It is quite common for permitted development to be restricted on new build properties. The best course of action is to enquire with your developer and/or local council to find out more.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
There are 47 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and if your property lies within one of them, you will need to apply for planning permission before building a conservatory. You may even need permission if your property is viewable from within an AONB, however, this is something you would need to investigate with your local council.
An important factor when applying for planning permission for an AONB is how well the proposed extension would fit into the surrounding landscape. It must be sympathetic to the environment around it and a key part of this is the materials it will be made of. Materials such as polycarbonate and PVCu are very unlikely to be approved and generally development is more likely to be permitted for extensions such as hardwood conservatories. Alternatively, sometimes wood effect PVCu may be considered. Often, it will also be asked that local materials, such as local stone, is used for the base of any extension in order to have it blend more seamlessly into the surrounding landscape.
The best first step if you live in an AONB is to contact your local council planning department to enquire about feasibility of having an extension built onto your home. Cousins are happy to draw up some design options alongside a quote for you to submit to the planning officers and, subject to planning permission being granted, work with you to produce a build that you are happy with, whilst still being suitable for its surroundings.
Listed Properties
Additionally, listed properties often don’t qualify for permitted development rights due to their age and/or status as historical or architectural buildings of special interest that must be preserved. The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 says that a listed property cannot be altered, demolished, extended or modified without permission from the planning department of the local council. You can apply for planning permission for an extension to a listed building from the council and, similarly to AONB, permission can often be granted providing the proposed design meets a series of criteria laid out by the relevant council. If you wish to have a conservatory installed upon a listed property, contact your local council to find out more.
What is the difference between Planning Permission and Building Regulations?
Planning permission aims to control the appearance of both individual homes/streets as well as wider communities and towns by regulating what building work is and isn’t allowed. They also aim to monitor and control the impact any development may have on neighbours or the general public.
Building Regulations focus on a build being energy efficient and safe, regardless of whether it needs planning permission or not. Any new extensions or developments must have strong foundations and be made with the appropriate insulation. They are also subject to checks to ensure any electrics have been properly and safely installed. To find out more about Building Regulations and how they may affect your new build, check out this article.
How do I apply for Planning Permission?
If you have discovered that Permitted Development Rights are applicable for you and the type of extension you would like to build, Congratulations! However, if you believe they do not, or you are unsure, do not despair! The best next step is to contact your local council planning department in order to apply for planning permission. In many cases, planning permission can be successfully obtained and Cousins are happy to provide proposed designs for you to put forward, if you require.
Planning Portals
For more information, the best place to go is your local planning portal. For those that live within West Sussex, such as Horsham, Crawley, Worthing, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead, Southwater, Steyning, Billingshurst, Henfield etc go to:
And Chichester District Council has its own dedicated planning portal here:
If you live in East Sussex such as Lewes, Wealden, Rother, Eastbourne and Hastings, your planning website can be found here:
However, Brighton and Hove have a separate planning portal, shown below:
If you live in Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Guildford, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Runnymead, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge, Waverley or Woking, use the below link to access the Surrey County Council Planning website, which will direct you to a specific planning portal for your borough:
Can you help me with my Planning Permission?
Of course! We can take care of the entire planning permission process for you, for an additional fee, so that the stress and hassle is taken off your hands! Our service includes the application fee, drawings and support from our qualified expert and we will keep you fully updated throughout.
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