Everything you need to know about Planning Permission and Building Regulations for your bespoke orangery project.

For many, when planning your modern bespoke orangery, Planning Permission and Building Regulations can be an unwanted concern. By choosing Conservatory Outlet this is taken out of your hands so you are free to enjoy the exciting parts of choosing your dream orangery or contemporary conservatory – such as what style will you have, will the roof be glass or polycarbonate and how will you use your new orangery or sunroom?

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/orangery 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?

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 orangery in the same way as a conservatory under the present legislation, unless you are adding an orangery 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.

You may now be able to build quite a number of orangeries or 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 orangery/conservatory is separated from the house by external quality door(s).

• Glazing and any fixed electrical installations comply with the applicable building regulations requirements.

From 1st October 2008 new rules for conservatories, orangeries and glass extensions took affect which replaced the old rules and affect planning rules as follows:

1. No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway. This means that any orangery on the front or side of a house that will be closer to a public highway than the original house will need planning permission. A highway is any public right of way including footpaths.

2. Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house. The width of an orangery running along the back length of a house is not constrained at all unless it projects beyond the house which is constrained by rule 3. A house is only detached if there is no solid structure connecting it to a neighbour. A “link” house is therefore not detached nor would be two houses with a common garage. The rules on what counts as being detached have not changed from the previous ones.

3. Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.

4. Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres from the lowest point on the ground.

5. No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.

6. On designated land no permitted development for rear extensions of more than one storey; no cladding of the exterior; no side extensions.

7. No more than half the area of land around the “original house” would be covered by additions or other buildings.

8. Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.

While permitted development rights now allow for the construction of many orangeries and 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.

Will my orangery need to satisfy Building Regulations?

In general, a domestic orangery or conservatory will be exempt under UK building regulations, again, ask Conservatory Outlet to check this out for you, they will take care of the process.

If you would like to receive a quotation for an orangery or modern conservatory then please fill in one of our free quotation request forms, and our sales advisor can also discuss whether your project will need planning permission or building regulations.

Improve your living space with a contemporary conservatory

Conservatories are a great way to improve the value of your property and to enhance the best use of your living space. One can easily install them and there is no need to change or move the home. It provides relief from all unnecessary distribution of an old block built system. They are available along with attractive window frames, and in great styles that can compliment your living space.

One can go for stained glass conservatories as they give the modified touch. They are durable, well furnished; double glazed and one can easily get them build according to their choice. They are suitable for all the season as in winters they provide warmth and cool in summers. They give greater ventilation and catchy look to the visitors. In case of bad weather they can be adjusted in such a way that they provide essential ventilation and if you open it in 90 degree then you can enjoy the clear view of outside.

A uPVC conservatory is available in other various designs and styles. Some of the general designs are Victorian conservatory, Edwardian conservatory, Mediterranean conservatory and Bespoke conservatories. There is a wide range of styles to chose from to enhance the look of your home.

Mediterranean arrow is also known as sun lounge. They are best option where space is limited. They are best suited where a smallest angle of roof pitch is essential. Victorian arrows are very well known because of their bay front and inclined roof. They are beautiful and attractive and best suited for all types of house styles. Bay front can be of 3 or 5 facets in size.

Edwardian conservatories can be identify easily because of its rectangular foot and pitched top. The four-sided figure form utilises the interior space efficiently. It allows the furniture to fit in corners easily. Dwarf walls give lot of space to shelf to keep different type of stuff. Bespoke arrow offers unlimited styles. A wide range of designs are available in them, such as B-shaped, T-shaped, L-shaped or P-shaped style. They become unique because of their sun burst gable features and twofold French doors.

For any difficulty one can talk to designers, manufacturers and installers online or they can personally visit them.

So for the next time you want to enhance the use of space of your living room then trust Conservatories from Conservatory Outlet.

As they bring these conservatories a gift of glory and luxury right into your interiors.

How to clean your conservatory

In order to keep your conservatory in tip top condition, you will need to clean it. Regular cleaning will reduce the need for maintenance as dirt and grime can cause discolouring and corrosion, making your conservatory a shodow of it’s former self.

Most conservatories are quite large and cleaning can be quite time consuming. Our advice would be to break the cleaning process down into smaller more manageable tasks, an example would be Job 1) clean glass, Job 2) clear guttering of debris , Job 3) clean framework etc. To break the jobs down further you can break them into inside and outside tasks.

Without a shadow of a doubt cleaning the outside of a conservatory is the most time consuming. The following cleaning procedures should be considered

1. Removing plant material (leaves, twigs etc.) from gutters, this type of material can severely limit surface drainage, providing a moisture rich environment for moss and algae, and in severe cases if left unattended this can lead to panels and roofs moving.

2. Cleaning the roof. The roof of your conservatory takes a beating from the elements, rain, wind snow and ice can all carry small particles of dirt, which over time, build up reducing the light into you conservatory. This is also the perfect breeding ground for algae, this will give your conservatory an unattractive green coat, again reducing your light and over time affecting the structure.

3. Cleaning the glass. The window of your conservatory will become dirty just like the windows on the rest of your home and should be cleaned accordingly.

4. Cleaning the framework. Overtime the framework of your conservatory will pick up dirt and grim, and should be cleaned at regular intervals this will help to keep that gleaming “new” look.

INSIDE THE CONSERVATORY

5. The internal framework and glass in some environments is subject to much harsher conditions than the external. Many of the pollutants are much more concentrated when compared to those outside. If you live in a house where someone smokes your conservatory can be exposed to enormous amounts of smoke and nicotine. This when left over an extended period of time can leave a unsightly yellow stain.

When cleaning your safety should be at the forefront of your mind. There is good chance you could be working at height. Make sure you use the correct equipment for the task in hand and do not attempt anything you are unsure of.

If you don’t have the correct equipment for the job, please don’t even attempt any of the tasks mentioned. There are many conservatory cleaning companies out there, who can provide a thorough and professional service.

Heating your conservatory

Heating is an important consideration if you intend to use your conservatory all year round.

But how can you achieve comfortable temperatures in your conservatory?

In terms of heating there are a myriad of options available, radiators, storage heaters and under floor heating, can all be viable depending on individual circumstance. In order for you to make an informed decision you need to look at your conservatory and decide what meets your requirements.

The first thing you need to do is calculate your heating requirements. This can be done using the following formula

Recommended power needed (watts) = Floor area x 200 e.g. 4m x 4m = 16 sq. m x 200 = 3200 or 3.2 KW

This gives you a rough idea of your heating requirements, although this can sometimes be reduced by as much as 25% dependent on the aspect of your conservatory, your location in the UK and whether you have any insulating products e.g Sun blinds.

Due to the amounts of glass within your conservatory you will find they cool down much faster than conventional brick or stone built buildings. This will be most evident at sunset. Due to this rapid heat loss you need to consider the speed at which your heating system can bring your conservatory to a comfortable temperature. Radiators and fan based electrical heaters all can heat rooms at quick rates but require a relatively large amount of energy to do so. Storage heaters and underfloor heating tend to heat at a slower rate as they try to maintain a constant room temperature. Obviously if the room is going to be used frequently this may be the best option.

When considering a heating system you will also have to consider installation. Obviously if your glass panels are floor to ceiling you will be limited to what kind of heating system you can install due to your lack of mountable wall space. if your considering a radiator you will certainly have a sizeable amount of plumbing to contend with, and all electrical appliances require access to mains electricity.

This is probably the biggest factor to bare in mind when selecting you heating appliance. If it can’t be installed correctly in your conservatory it’s not suitable for your needs.

Don’t scrimp when picking a heating system, you’ll regret it. Decide on how frequently the conservatory is to be used, and base your initial requirement on that. There’s no point in getting the best conservatory money can buy and then not being able to enjoy it because it’s too cold.

Conservatory Outlet dealers are happy to advice on the best options for heating your conservatory.