When is Planning Permission Required?
If you’re thinking about extending your property or adding on a conservatory, it may be easier than you think. Planning permission is generally not required as long as you abide by certain regulations.
Loft conversions
Loft conversions will only require planning permission if any additional roof space created exceeds 40 cubic metres for terraced houses and 50 cubic metres for detached and semi-detached houses. You should bear in mind that any previous roof space additions must be included within this volume allowance.
However, roof extensions, apart from hip to gable ones, must be set back as far as is viable, at least 20cm, from the original eaves. This 20cm distance is measured along the roof plane. An extension beyond this would need permission.
Another regulation is that no part of the extension should be higher than the uppermost part of the current roof and materials used must be similar in appearance to the existing house. Also note, any side-facing windows must be obscure-glazed and non-opening unless the parts that open are more than 1.7 metres above the floor of the room they’re in.
Single storey extensions
If your planned extension doesn’t exceed 50% of the total area of land around the original house, you won’t require planning permission.
The term ‘original house’ means your house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before this date) and sheds and other outbuildings must be included when calculating the 50% limit.
Extensions aren’t permitted if they’re forward of the principal elevation or side elevation of the house and fronting a highway. To comply with regulations, you should also ensure that the materials used in exterior work are similar in appearance to those of the current exterior of your house (this condition doesn’t apply to conservatories).
Also, the width of a side extension shouldn’t be greater than half the width of the original house, and a single storey should be a maximum height of four metres. A single storey rear extension mustn’t extend beyond the rear of the original house by more than three metres on an attached house or by four metres on a detached house.
Two storey rear extensions
As with single storeys, your planned extension won’t require planning permission if it doesn’t exceed 50% of the total area of land around the original house.
You should also ensure the maximum eaves and ridge height of the extension is no higher than the existing house. And if your extension is within two metres of a boundary, the eaves height should be no higher than three metres.
In addition, extensions of more than one storey shouldn’t extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than three metres or be within seven metres of any boundary opposite the rear wall of the house.
New upper floor windows in a wall or roof slope of a side elevation must be obscure-glazed and non-opening unless the part that can be opened is more than 1.7 metres above the floor of the room in which it’s installed.
Conservatories and outbuildings
Conservatories will only warrant the same planning regulations as any extension or addition to a house as above. New outbuildings such as garages and sheds don’t require permission if they’re single storey with a maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of 4 metres with a dual pitched roof, or 3 metres in any other case.
If your proposed outbuilding is within two metres of your property boundary the whole building shouldn’t exceed 2.5 metres in height. Outbuildings shouldn’t be built forward of the principal elevation of the original house, and again, the rule that you can’t exceed 50% of the total area of land around the original house applies.
Any new building that is separate, self-contained or living accommodation would need planning permission as would a balcony or veranda.
TM Roofing & Building specialises in all types of roofing and building works. We are able to help and guide you in the right direction and provide you with a quotation on your home extension. Please call us on 01252 815719 or alternatively, please visit www.tmroofing.com for more information.