Conversatories and Building Regs

[GrahamC230K]

I am looking into a conservatory.

The purpose of the conservatory would be to extend the size of my room rather than any particular want for a glass room. Conservatory over extension as my area has strict covenants enforced by a trust and conservatories are to an extent exempt. Plus as it is garden facing, it wil work nicely.

Now to make the space work as I want, it means opening up a external wall, pretty much the whole width of the conservatory to make one space.

Obviously many onsiderations with this.

My largest concern is that building regs state that a conservatory must for some reason have a door that can shut off the conservatory from the house. Does anyone know the exact reasons for this?

I do not want a door. It would defeat the putrpose for me. Not even a sliding or concetena door.

Now I have seen other houses done like this, but I am going to knowingly break building regs, so it will be of no surpirse when a surveyor picks this up when it comes to sell.

How seriously will a survey view this? Of course it will be documented, but when a buyer takes advise what are they likely to be told?

Do you think I could have issues building/contents insurance wise?

I will be opting to follow building regs for the RSJ used where the wall is taken down.

The conservatory will be 2 sides glass one side brick, approx 4m x 4m dimesnsion.

I can look up the technical stuff on the appropriete web sites, but it's you experiences I'm after please.

Thanks
Graham

 

[pammy]

Graham - if you don't get the appropriate approvals, you will have problems when you come to sell. It's one of the things that caused a hold up on mine. They did not have approval from the LA or from the builder who held a covenenant. Although you don't need Planning Permission you may need approval to say you don't need Planning Permission. If it's not in place when you sell you're faced with getting retrospective approval which is not guaranteed. My purchase nearly collapsed because of it.

As for not having a door - if you get Planning Permission then you can escape having the to meet the door requirement. It depends how much of a bother the door is to you. The reasons are pretty irrelevant - it's a requirement and that's that.

Mine has a full height and length wall between me and the neighbours - makes it more of a room and much more private, so what you are thinking of should be OK. I'm not sure the roles the size of it plays though. Mine is about 4 m x 3m.

 

[Gollom]

Maybe a very simplistic answer, but why not some light/cheap French doors installed on lift-off hinges? That is assuming you have somewhere you could store them.

 

[GrahamC230K]

The conervatory would meet all planning requirements and covenants, just not need building regs for the door element. I would adhere to building regs for the RSJ where I don't think I HAVE to planning wise.

So if I go full planning permission I can effectivly waive the building regs re door element? Interesting.

 

[Mr E]

The usual thing on doors is to avoid the need for planning permission. For example my local authority does not require planning permission for a conservatory (within certain size/volume restrictions) as long as the external doors remain. There is also a certain definition regarding the amount of glass required in order to be called a conservatory.

It's the difference between a temporary structure and an extension...

 

[pammy]

So if I go full planning permission I can effectivly waive the building regs re door element? Interesting.

If you go for full planning permission then you can design whatever you want within the LAs planning guidelines. It doesn't matter if you call it a conservatory or an extension or whatever. A "conservatory" that you want to put up without PP must meet a range of criteria - one of which is indeed doors and the amount of glass etc. If you go for PP - because you don't want doors you are in effect indeed making it an extension and not a conservatory. You might find different building regs apply though when it comes to things like the foundations though.

You might find that your LA has a permiitted development range depending on the size of your property and the ratio of the size of the extension which mean they may excuse you requiring PP. I don't need it for my extension All I had to do was sketch out what I was proposing with measurements. They checked it out and within 3 weeks I got confirmation that I don't need planning permission. It's worth looking at.

I'd also get a couple of builders round to have a look. Not one of these SafeStyle type conservatory companies though - a proper builder who knows what PP and Buidling reg's would need for you to get what you want.

 

[GrahamC230K]

That is most useful Pammy. Thank you.

Trust me, it's not a safestyle type company I will be using.

My estimates so far look like it will cost about £27/287K all in.

 

[pammy]

Glad it helps. If you're paying that much tbh you might as well go down the PP route. It's too much imho to compromise what you want and/or risk having to pull it down later of jeopardise a potential sale in the future.

Good luck though. Hope you have the availability of builders etc down your way to be able to get it done. It's the single biggest problem in this area - you cannot get tradespeople

 

[Alex Argent]

Planning consent (permission) is an entirely different requirement to Building Regulations.

Different local authorities have entirely differing positions on whether or not planning consent is required for a single-storey extension or a conservatory. The key issues would normally be the overall (external) area of such a building (in certain cases, maximum depths & widths are stated). Notwithstanding o )the above, there may also be a requirement to seek planning consent if the building is clearly going to be both a visual burden and natural light barrier to adjacent properties.

Building Regs cover an entirely different set of issues altogether. These encompass many factors but in the main are: structural integrity, health & safety, fire, disabled access (where applicable) and environmental requirements. I would lay a pound to a penny that the requirement of an internal door falls under Part L, which refers to energy conservation. Without a separating door between the existing building and the new structure, the heat losses are no longer acceptable. I think the only way to obtain dispensation on this latter issue would be to erect a cavity wall extension with insulated walls and roof space and double glazed window units (assuming it is not going to be separately heated). Again, it's down to each specific local authority as to how they interpret and endeavour to enforce the regulations. Any alterations to the 'fabric' of an existing habitable structure must be covered under Building Regulations.

Hope that helps .

Alex

 

[pammy]

Planning consent (permission) is an entirely different requirement to Building Regulations.

Indeed - the Consent (PP etc) tells you what you can erect - the Bldg Regs tell you how, ie to what standard it has to be done and anything you build must meet these standards.

Depending what you are doing you will need a building inspector to check and say it's OK. Inspections may be done at several stages of the construction. They'll give you a certificate of compliance if it's OK or insist you correct/amend or change an element before approving it. But it's no good something meeting the building reg standards if there isn't the apt permission in place for the structure in the first place

 

[BenzComander]

Sorry to Graham for hijacking the thread a little, but we live in a barn conversion, and a friend told us we would be unlikely to get planning permission for a conservatory. Is this true??

 

[pammy]

Sorry to Graham for hijacking the thread a little, but we live in a barn conversion, and a friend told us we would be unlikely to get planning permission for a conservatory. Is this true??

Depends on so many things. If you live in an area of outstanding natural beauty then you might not get PP. If it's a listed building then you prob won't. Check your LAs website. There's usually loads of info on them for what does and might not need PP.

 

[Alex Argent]

Indeed - the Consent (PP etc) tells you what you can erect - the Bldg Regs tell you how, ie to what standard it has to be done and anything you build must meet these standards.

Depending what you are doing you will need a building inspector to check and say it's OK. Inspec tions may be done at several stages of the consctruction. They'll give you a certificate of compliance if it;s OK or insist you correct/amend or change an element before approving it. But it's no good something meeting the building reg standards if there isn't the apt permission in place for the structure in the first place

Thanks Pammy....that just about sums it up .

On the red wine already?..............(hic)

 

[pammy]

Thanks Pammy....that just about sums it up .

On the red wine already?..............(hic)