Conservatory / Conservatories attached to Residential Dwellings

Conservatory - A larger footprint will likely require planning permission

There is often confusion relating to the planning enforcement connected to residential conservatories, when they are relatively straightforward. In principle, provide the dimensions are reasonable, there is no requirement for a formal Planning Application, commonly referred to as ‘Permitted Development’.

In order to erect a conservatory without Planning Permission, the following should be adhered to. It should be noted that any other design concept beyond these can still be accepted within reason.

Dimensionally

It should not exceed 4m in height, this is lowered to 3m where the extent of the conservatory is within 2 metres of the boundary.
The ridge height of the conservatory should not exceed the ridge height of the original dwelling.
It should not project any further than 4 metres for a detached dwelling, any other types are restricted to 3m.

Site Context

Where any part of the exterior is clad with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), conservation areas or any nationally protected sites.
Including previous extensions, outbuildings and sheds, a conservatory should not exceed 50% of the total area of the land around the original house.

Positioning

Any proposals adjacent to a side wall are not covered by the Permitted Development rules. They should also not exceed more than half the width of the rear elevation of the original house - it should be noted whether there was a side extension previous to a conservatory proposal.
It should not be positioned on the front of the property, adjacent to a highway.

Note: This information has been checked against the content on the Planning Portal Website.

Last modified: 01 May 2017.

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