Do You Know What Is Required With Building Regulations?

When a customer comes to us and informs our team they want a conservatory or orangery constructed at their home one of the first things we do is inform them that the design must comply with current building regulations.

We don’t do it to try and put them off the idea, far from it, and in any case, we take care of everything to do with building regulations on their behalf. We do it to immediately get across the importance of staying within the rules; otherwise you can run into a host of difficulties.

If we were to build a non-complaint extension and the relevant planning department were to discover that it breaks building regulations they could at the very least demand that changes be made to the design. The worst case scenario is that they order a complete demolition of the structure and just imagine how agonising that would be for all concerned!

Hazlemere refuses to potentially leave customers in such limbo and takes every conservatory and orangery buyer through the rules, which are as follows:

• At ground level and not exceed 30m2 floor area.
• Glazed to satisfy the requirements of Approved Document K of Schedule 1.
• Physically separated internally from the building it is attached to, for example, by a door.
• Without sanitary appliances.
• Not intended for year round habitable use.
• Used to some extent for the propagation of plants.

When there is some uncertainty over whether a home extension satisfies building regulations or not, an Exempt Buildings Form will be obtained.

The entire plans for the extension should be outlined on this form before it is returned to the local authority so that they can assess these plans and decide if the extension falls within the guidelines. Once a decision has been reached, they will confirm their decision in writing. This written confirmation should be kept safe when the go-ahead is given as a homeowner will need to pass it on to any future occupier of their house. When the plans are turned down, an appeal can be made.

There’s also planning permission to think about

Building regulations and planning permission need to be treated separately because they’re two completely different things.

Unless you’re fortunate enough to have Permitted Development Rights, something you can read about here, there is a possibility that planning permission will also need to be sought before any building commences.

Hand over this hard work to Hazlemere

Book an appointment now to begin the conservatory / orangery buying process. It will be completely stress-free as we will take care of all building regulations and planning requirements.