FAQ: Do I Need Planning Permission to Build a Glazed Extension?

Many terms are used for a glazed extension these days including conservatory, orangery, lean-to, livin room or glass structure. Regardless of the description, they all fall under the same guidelines when it comes to planning permission for extending your home.

Over the years, planning laws have changed and continue to do so. In recent times the majority of these changes have attempted to make it easier for the homeowner to interpret but there is still a lot of uncertainty for a lot of people as to whether they do or do not need planning.

Any extension of the home ,be it conservatory, glazed lean-to, orangery or full brick and tile, can be evaluated by its size and location. Provided your property has Permitted Development Rights (PDR), then you can extend your home up to 3000mm from the existing rear wall for a terraced or semi-detached house, and 4000mm for a detached property. As long as you do not exceed the guideline for the depth, the overall height stays under 4000mm and the eaves (the lower part of the roof) under 3000mm, then you would not require planning. This can be built under PDR.

Most houses have Permitted Development Right. There are certain situations when PDR has been removed from the property and you would need to have this confirmed. This can occur in larger developments where it was part of the original agreement with the development company but in the main, the majority of houses have Permitted Development.

Some local planning authorities will let you know over the ‘phone, but others will require you or your Planning Agent to complete a Pre-Application Enquiry Form in order to confirm whether or not your property had Permitted Development Rights. Once confirmed, you will be able to go ahead and build your chosen extension provided that it is within the dimensions applicable to your property.

Planning regulations do change considerably for Green Belt and Conservation Areas where tighter controls are implemented. However, many houses in these instances would still have Permitted Development Rights and then the same guidelines apply again. Provided the house has not been overly extended, then it is rare for any suitable application to be rejected if planning is required.

There are a number of guidelines on-line to help including the following document: Permitted Development Rights for Householders.

Neighbour Consultation Scheme

The good news is that for a period of 6 years – 30th May 2013 – 30th May 2019 – you are able to build larger single – storey rear extensions under Permitted Development. The size limits increase from 4000mm to 8000mm for detached houses and from 3000mm to 6000mm for attached houses (terraced or semi-detached).

You or your Planning Agent must notify the local planning authority and provide a written description of the proposal with;

• The dimensions of the proposed extension
• The height of the eaves and the height of the ridge
• A plan of the site showing the extension
• Scaled drawings
• Addresses of the properties to the left, right and rear

The local authority will serve a notice to the neighbours concerned, giving the address of the proposed development and describe it. There is a 42 day determination period in which your neighbours have 21 days to make an objection. If any neighbour raises an objection within 21 days, the local authority will take this into account and make a decision about whether the impact on the amenity of all the neighbouring properties is acceptable. No other issues will be considered.Any objections received after 21 days will not be considered.

If the local authority does not notify you or your Planning Agent of any objections within the 42 days, then the development may go ahead.

If you are looking to add a contemporary glazed extension, conservatory, organgery or livin room to your property, the best option is to speak with an experienced design company who not only understand the planning restrictions, but can also provide a sympathetic and attractive solution for your property. This will make the process much easier to navigate as well as adding value to your home.

There are other considerations with glass structures when opened up to the property and these are covered under Building Regulations rather than Planning. This is another subject which we will cover in a new blog post soon.