Most small orangeries or conservatories do not require planning permission and those that fall within the regulations rarely cause problems for the planners. David Salisbury will be please to assist with this process and most applications are successful. However, most of our clients do require planning permission and or Listed Building consent, as the exemption size is quite limiting, for a typical modern orangery.
An outline of the criteria for exemption is listed below and in case of doubt it may be helpful to show your sketch designs to a planning officer. Do this informally before paying any fee or completing the application form. Any potential objections may be overcome by agreement at this formative stage. In some areas this may not be possible as planners are too busy, but it is always worth a try.
Unfortunately the guidelines for exemption are not interpreted entirely consistently across the whole of the UK and varies with individual planing officer. It is often wise to apply for a certificate of exemption (although not strictly necessary) to ensure that there are no problems further down the track. For completeness, the guidelines for exemption are listed below. David Salisbury's experienced planning consultant has years of experience in all aspects of the regulations and will help advise on the best course of action even before you place an order with us.
Adding a conservatory to your house is considered to be permitted development (not needing an application for planning permission) subject to the limits and conditions listed below.
Please note: the permitted development allowances described here apply to houses not flats, maisonettes or other buildings. Where work is proposed to a Listed Building, Listed Building consent may be required.
* The term original house means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.
* Designated land includes National Parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
The council has eight weeks from the date of application to give you a decision before you have the right to appeal to the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. However, appeals can take several months to decide and it may be quicker to reach agreement with the council.
If it becomes clear that planning consent is going to be difficult to obtain, it may be helpful to gain support from your local councillor who sits on the planning committee so that one person at least is briefed to support your application. In addition you would be best advised to consult an experienced architect or planning specialist, alternatively we may be able to help.