Hello, I’m Dave Walters from DW Windows. We’re based in Wolverhampton, our main showroom and head office is in Coseley and we’ve got a couple of other showrooms; one in Sedgley and one in Fordhouses. Today I’m going to try and give you some general guidelines on when you need to get planning permission for a conservatory.
Planning permission guidelines for conservatories
If you’re looking to build out more than 3m, (which is out from your original building line; your original house), so that is to include any existing extensions you may have had on the back of your property. You can’t put a 3m conservatory on an existing extension without getting full planning permission. So, on semi-detached you can go out 3m in total and on a detached property you can go out 4m in total – anything over that you need prior notification or planning permission.
You are allowed to go up to, and not over, half of the original land around the original house. The maximum eve height, or your guttering height (the top of your doors basically), has to be under 3m and the maximum overall height has to be under 4m. So, if you exceed any of those dimensions then you’re going to need planning permission to get your extension or your conservatory done. Also, if you’re on designated or conservation land, if you’re in a restricted building, you’re going to have to get planning permission.
Neighbourhood Consultation Scheme
There’s also a thing at the minute called the Neighbourhood Consultation Scheme. Some people call it the prior notification, and what it does is it allows projections to be doubled. So, on semi-detached, you can go up to 6m and on a detached, you can go up to 8m under this scheme.
It’s a temporary scheme, due to finish at the end of May 2019 – but the date has been moved a few times in the past, so that’s under review at the moment. What it does is it saves time and money on going through the full planning permission route.
What you have to do, we can work with you on this, is to notify the local authority; sending them a street plan of your street, which costs about £15 to print off the internet. Then we can provide you with CAD drawings and dimensions of the extension or the conservatory that you want. As long as it doesn’t exceed those dimensions, the 6m and 8m, then you may be able to get through on the Neighbourhood Consultation Scheme.
So, we notify the authority. The authority will then contact your neighbours in writing; normally your direct neighbours and one or two either side and your neighbours directly across the road. If you’ve got no objections from any of those neighbours, it’s good to go and we can carry on and build your conservatory.
Not to be confused with building regs
Building regulations, again, are very different; as I’ve said on a previous video about getting permission from your local authority and neighbours to do it. Building regs are more about how we do it, what materials we use, etc. So, don’t get the two mixed up. You can get planning permission to do a job and you end up not needing building regs and vice versa.
So, I hope that helps a little bit. If you need any more information give us a call on 0800 999 0909 or go on our website and you can also get the full regulations, full planning permission rules and much more on your local authority planning portal.
Birmingham Council Planning Portal
Coventry Council Planning Portal
Dudley Council Planning Portal
Sandwell Council Planning Portal
Solihull Council Planning Portal
Walsall Council Planning Portal
Wolverhampton Council Planning Portal
Thanks for listening, I hope it makes sense! I’ve been Dave Walters and I’ll see you soon!
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