Latest News

Everything you need to know about Planning Permission and Building Regulations for your bespoke Conservatory
For many, when planning your conservatory, Planning Permission and Building Regulations can be an unwanted concern. By choosing the Conservatory Outlet this is taken out of your hands so you are free to enjoy the exciting parts of choosing your dream conservatory – such as what style will you have, will the roof be glass or polycarbonate and how will you use your new conservatory or sunroom? Conservatory Outlet are extremely knowledgeable about the Planning and Building Regulations process throughout Cheshire Lancashire, Greater Manchester and parts of Staffordshire and will take care of the research and the application if required.

What is the difference between Planning Permission and Building Regulations?
Planning Permission and Building Regulations are often confused. Both are the responsibility of the Local Authority and basically, Planning Permission takes into consideration the aesthetic effect of a new building/extension on the surrounding homes and neighbourhood, whilst Building Regulations define how the structure must be constructed in terms of thermal efficiency etc.

Do I need Planning Permission?
The Conservatory Outlet will take care of this for you, but for your information, here is a summary of the basic facts. In most cases you will not require planning permission for your conservatory under the present legislation, unless you are adding a conservatory to a house that has already been extended. You may also need to check if your house is a ‘new build’ as developers sometimes place restrictions on them.

Will my conservatory need to satisfy Building Regulations?
In general, a domestic conservatory will be exempt under UK building regulations, again, ask the Conservatory Outlet to check this out for you, they will take care of the process.

You may now be able to build quite a number of conservatories without planning permission that previously would have needed it. The following rules must be followed to remain exempt from them.

• They are built at ground level and are less than 30 square metres in floor area
• At least half of the new wall and three quarters of the roof is either glazed or translucent material.
• The conservatory is separated from the house by external quality door(s).
• Glazing and any fixed electrical installations comply with the applicable building regulations requirements.

So while permitted development rights now allow for the construction of many conservatories without planning permission items 1 and 2 above may still limit their size and material construction if you want to avoid building regulations. If a conservatory you are building does not meet any of the above four rules then it will have to adhere to building regulations in full.

For further details of Planning Permission for your Conservatory, contact the Conservatory Outlet on 0800 011 2400 or visit our showrooms in Cheshire or Lancashire.

Leading double glazing and conservatory installer Conservatory Outlet are pleased to announce the launch of their double glazing and conservatory latest news section on their website. The Latest News is intended to be used by both customers and staff at the Conservatory Outlet, where for example, changes in planning applications for conservatories can be highlighted and discussed.

A Spokesperson from Conservatory Outlet commented on our latest news section:
“We intended to start our Latest News in order to relay information regarding the double glazing & conservatory industry to the general public.  Our Latest News also gives us the opportunity to post the testimonials from our many happy customers.”

On October the 1st 2008, the government introduced new planning rules for conservatories and other home extensions, which are detailed in our conservatory article section. These new rules mean that extensions of up to two storeys can be built without planning permission as long as they extend no more than ten feet or three meters from the back of the main property.

These new rules also affect loft conversions, which now no longer need planning permission should the finished project not exceed 50 square meters or don’t exceed more than eight inches from the eaves.

The Conservatory Outlet have also provided other information for their potential customers such as how to make the most of a new conservatory and the wide range of optional extras they can provide. For example, a choice of both manual and automatic roof vents is available as well as either glass or polycarbonate roofing materials.

In the near future the double glazing and conservatory blog will also highlight some of the new innovations in double glazed window designs, such as the self cleaning Pilkington Activ glass, which is sure to be a popular choice. Not to mention the security features such as steel reinforced window and door frames, triple hinges with hinge protectors as standard to stop forced entry using a crow bar and the tried and tested multi point locks.

Our latest news is intended to be a ‘one stop shop’ for everything concerned with the double glazing and conservatory industry. Readers are invited to post their own comments, questions and suggestions on the blog, making it an ideal place to keep abreast of changes and developments within the industry.   But don’t take our word for it, take a look at The Conservatory Outlet’s new Double Glazing and Conservatory news section for yourself and keep up to date with all things double glazing.