Hi all fellow DIY'ers

We currently have an aging old box conservatory which leaks and has
mouldy walls etc. We plan to pull this down and rebuild it in mostly
blocks with a couple of large d/g UPVC windows, and a pair of UPVC
frenh style doors. All this topped with a tiled sloping roof. The
exposed blockwork will then be roughcast rendered and painted white to
match the rest of the house. The size will be exactly as the
conservatory currently is. My local planning permission site seems to
indicate that I don't need planning permission as it will be less than
70 metres cubed (it will be about 21). However, people are telling me
that as part of the plan is to remove the existing patio door that
leads to the conservatory (as it is now), this means that we need
planning permission. Is this the case?

Exactly what do we need with regards to planning permission and
building regs? I plan to do the majority of work myself. I am not a
registered builder, but am more than capable of the job.

Cheers

Gazza

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from "Gazza" contains these words:

However, people are telling me
that as part of the plan is to remove the existing patio door that
leads to the conservatory (as it is now), this means that we need
planning permission. Is this the case?

Certainly one issue is that when it's a conservatory you can't take out
the exterior grade door to the house because of heat-loss rules - in
effect you'd have to upgrade the insulation to a level not normally
possible with conservatories.

As for when it's an extension - dunno, but there may be some confusion
between building regs and planning permision. When the woman came round
to look at the site for my conservatory she said that provided it's a
conservatory (translucent roof being on of the deciding factors) I
didn't need building control to visit provided I wasn't taking the doors
out or making new doors /unless/ I was putting insulating draughtproofed
doors in their place.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

We currently have an aging old box conservatory which leaks and has
mouldy walls etc. We plan to pull this down and rebuild it in mostly
blocks with a couple of large d/g UPVC windows, and a pair of UPVC
frenh style doors. All this topped with a tiled sloping roof. The
exposed blockwork will then be roughcast rendered and painted white to
match the rest of the house. The size will be exactly as the
conservatory currently is. My local planning permission site seems to
indicate that I don't need planning permission as it will be less than
70 metres cubed (it will be about 21). However, people are telling me
that as part of the plan is to remove the existing patio door that
leads to the conservatory (as it is now), this means that we need
planning permission. Is this the case?

Exactly what do we need with regards to planning permission and
building regs? I plan to do the majority of work myself. I am not a
registered builder, but am more than capable of the job.


The need for planning permission depends on various things. The quickest way
to find out is to phone or visit the planners and discuss it with them They
don't bite! What you will need is building regulations approval and this is
unlikely to allow you to remove the door because of the need to comply with
heat insulation rules. You need to ask the building control staff for more
detail.

Peter Crosland

Thanks for the replies. Regarding insulation and heat loss, I do plan
to insulate it well. It is in my own interest to do so. I will also be
putting a rad in there and using approved double glazed windows and
doors. Will this not suffice? Also, the house is a mid 20's semi with
solid walls, so the new bit will probably keep the heat in in better
than the rest of the house!! Whoever errected the conservatory in the
first place also layed the concrete slab right in front of two air
vents that vent the underfloorboard area of the rear of the house
thereby completly blocking them !!!!

Gazza