Did You Know You Might Need Planning Permission To Extend Your Home?

It seems as though people are increasingly turning their backs on the idea of moving home, preferring to remain at their current property and expand it. We can easily understand why.

Relocating is a huge physical, financial and emotional commitment; an often tough thing to endure.

There are far less headaches and heartaches involved when you remain at your current place and acquire the services of a skilled home extension specialist like Mitchell Glass to integrate a conservatory or orangery into it.

If that’s the option you choose to take, we will advise you that there’s a possibility you will need planning permission first.

We can sort that out for you if you need it. But, it’s still useful for you to be aware of what can, and can’t be built without planning permission.

Permitted Development

When the extension is a ‘permitted development’, no application for planning permission needs to be submitted to your local authority.

Single-storey extensions and multi-storey extensions must satisfy the following rules to be a ‘permitted development’:

Single-storey extensions

• it’s located at the back of the house
• it doesn’t go back further than 3 metres if it’s a terraced house, or 4 metres if it isn’t
• the height of the eaves (where the wall meets the roof) is no higher than 3 metres
• it’s not higher than 4 metres, including sloping roofs
• it doesn’t cover more floor area than your house does
• it doesn’t take up half the ‘curtilage’ – the grounds behind your home
• it isn’t within a conservation area

Multi-storey extensions

• it’s located at the back of the house
• there’s at least 10 metres between the extension and the boundaries of your grounds
• it isn’t higher than your house (excluding chimneys)
• it doesn’t cover more floor area than your original house does
• it doesn’t take up half the ‘curtilage’ – the grounds behind your home
• it isn’t within a conservation area

If the extension you want built doesn’t come under permitted development rights, you have to make a planning application.

It should also be clarified with your local authority if the extension requires building regulations approval too.

You can get lots more information about planning permission in our Helpful Guide about the subject. Click here to get a FREE copy of it.