Conservatory and building regs

rjbell

rjbell

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I'm buying my first home and saw one yesterday that we liked. What we didn't like though was there was a full length conservatory on the back of the house where the kitchen is making it very dark. I understand that conservatory are not classed has habitable spaces so do not need to abide by building regs, so taking the wall down and extending the kitchen isn't a option right? Could i however leave the kitchen in the space it is now open the wall out with concertina doors. All you have done is made a larger door to the conservatory.
 
I'm sure you could get permission to extend the kitchen, especially if there is a building there already.

However, just extending into the conservatory is easier, especially if you already have a window there wide enough to convert into a door without having to put a wider lintel in.


Steve.
 
Yes the are french doors and a window already. I was under the impression conservatories need no planning permission?
 
I think that they do need planning permission and building regs approval once they get to a certain size (floor area and height IIRC), but they are generally built so as not to need the above.
 
IIRC A conservatory is not classed as a permanent structure (until a certain size) as part of this you must have external doors between house and conservatory.

If you change the doors to internal doors, the conservatory is considered a permanent structure and you will need planning permission.

Don't ask me about what to do if the conservatory is there and you want to change the doors, you may need to go through planning permission, you may also need to look at the security of the conservatory as it may invalidate insurance.
 
rjbell said:
Could i however leave the kitchen in the space it is now open the wall out with concertina doors. All you have done is made a larger door to the conservatory.
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As noted above, the door from the house to the conservatory must be an external type door. There's nothing to stop you putting a 5 meter double glazed bi-fold door into the conservatory that you leave permenantly open, but it must comply with whatever the regs are for external doors in terms of security and insulation.

If you want to extend the kitchen, you may be better off demolishing the conservatory and building a proper single story extension, if you comply with certain restrictions on sizes and location you could potentially do it as permitted development, which would avoid planning permission. Building regs would still be needed though.
 
onomatopoeia said:
As noted above, the door from the house to the conservatory must be an external type door. There's nothing to stop you putting a 5 meter double glazed bi-fold door into the conservatory that you leave permenantly open, but it must comply with whatever the regs are for external doors in terms of security and insulation.

If you want to extend the kitchen, you may be better off demolishing the conservatory and building a proper single story extension, if you comply with certain restrictions on sizes and location you could potentially do it as permitted development, which would avoid planning permission. Building regs would still be needed though.
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Thank you Mark i think you have answered my question. Its already got an extention so i'm not sure i could add another without planning.
 
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rjbell said:
Thank you Mark i think you have answered my question. Its already got an extention so i'm not sure i could add another without planning.
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Have a look at this site

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/

It gives a lot of information about what is and is not allowed as permitted development. Multiple extensions can possibly be allowed, as long as not too much of the total plot is covered.
 
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