ELEVATIONS DESIGN & BUILD

Extensions and conservatories

Do I need planning permission to add an extension or conservatory to my home?

If your home is a flat, you will need to apply for planning permission.
If your home is a house and you occupy all of it, you will need to apply for planning permission if the extension:

• is more than four metres high and
• is also within two metres of the boundary
• is higher than the highest part of the roof of your house
• is nearer the road than the original house, or within 20 metres of the road, whichever is the closer

For a terraced house or any house in a conservation area, results in the cubic content of the "original house" being enlarged by more than 50 cubic metres or 10%, whichever is the greater
For a detached or semi-detached house not in a conservation area, results in the cubic content of the "original house" being enlarged by more than 70 cubic metres or 15% whichever is the greater
is more than 115 cubic metres in total
covers more than 50% of the area around the "original house"
The "original house" is defined as a house as originally built, or as it existed on 1 July 1948, whichever is the later date.

When calculating cubic content:

Other buildings within the grounds of a house count against the extension allowance when they would be within five metres of your house.Within a conservation area, the erection of new buildings within the grounds of a house that have a cubic content of 10 cubic metres or more are treated as extensions.
Outside conservation areas, the erection of new buildings within the grounds of a house that have a cubic content of at least 10 cubic metres are treated as extensions if they are within five metres of the house.
You will need to apply for planning permission if your home is covered by an Article 4 direction.
If your home is a listed building you will also need to apply for listed building consent.

Loft conversions

Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?

If your home is a flat you do not need planning permission for expanding your accommodation into your roof space, but you will need to apply for planning permission to build a dormer window. A roof light will also probably need planning permission. You may also need to get the consent of your landlord or mortgagor.

If your home is a house and you occupy all of it, you will need to apply for planning permission for a loft conversion if:

• your home is in a conservation area and the conversion would materially alter the shape of the roof
• you build an extension to any roof slope facing a road
• the extension would add more than 40 cubic metres to the volume of a terraced house and more than 50 cubic metres to the volume of any other type of house (see section on extensions)
• the extension would increase the height of the roof.
• the cubic content of the resulting building would exceed the cubic content of the "original house" being enlarged by more than 50 cubic metres or 10% whichever is the greater, for a terraced house, or 70 cubic metres or 15% whichever is the greater, for any other house, subject to maximum of 115 cubic metres.

You will need to apply for planning permission if your home is covered by an Article 4 direction.
If your home is a listed building you will also need to apply for listed building consent.

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