No, you typically do not need planning permission for an orangery if it falls within permitted development rights, which cover certain sizes and locations on your property. However, specific conditions and local regulations can apply, especially in designated areas or for listed buildings.
On the face of it, an orangery has a certain similarity to a conservatory, but explored closely it has less glass and more brickwork, and a lot of orangeries feature a flatter roof with a glass lantern.
If you’re considering home improvements, understanding the orangery vs conservatory differences will help you make the right choice
It is strongly inadvisable to go ahead with the construction of this most exquisite structure without the obtaining of orangery planning permission when necessary because it can lead to various complications. It could force you into making expensive modifications and then having to submit a retrospective planning application, or worse still, be told to knock it down completely.
These nightmare scenarios won’t transpire with Clearview in charge of the undertaking.
Understanding Planning Permission for an Orangery
Planning permission is unlikely to be paramount in your thoughts when wanting to progress with an orangery installation and some are oblivious to the importance of orangery planning permission.
Employing Clearview for an orangery project requires no knowledge or awareness of planning permission from you as we know the rules exhaustively, but it’s still helpful for you to have some grasp of it.
The size of an orangery mustn’t reach higher than the tallest point of your home’s roof to be exempt from planning permission, whilst orangeries forward of the front or side of an existing house and facing onto a road do require it.
We’ll give you a comprehensive overview of planning permission once we meet with you so that you’re nearly as clued up on it as we are, going into how the location of the orangery relative to your property and land area around it can influence matters.
Factors Influencing Planning Permission for an Orangery
A typical customer question to Clearview will be “do you need planning permission for an orangery?” and it’s all dependent on a series of factors.
A definite “no” is the answer if the orangery is consistent with the guidelines to be categorised as a permitted development, meeting the criteria of it not covering more than 50% of the land around the ‘original house’, amongst other things (we’ll go through the complete criteria at a design appointment).
Orangeries spanning no more than eight metres away from the rear wall of a detached property or six metres in the case of a semi-detached or terraced house fall within permitted development rights.
Homes with listed status or that have an Article 4 Direction imposed on them have their permitted development rights removed, giving rise to planning permission being required for orangery constructions.
Building Regulations for Orangeries
If you’re curious to know does an orangery need building regulations approval, in the main it will do to comply with safety regulations and energy efficiency requirements. Compliance with these regulations confirms that the structure has the necessary structural integrity, as well as offers ample insulation and ventilation, amongst other things.
As one of the most popular house extensions, orangeries must meet specific building regulation requirements. As an example, open-plan designs usually must include additional fire safety measures, while there are specific thermal necessities for orangeries attached to a dwelling.
Orangeries that are very much glass-built and could almost be regarded as a conservatory, separated from a house by external walls and doors, are sometimes exempt, but you need official confirmation if this is the case. Reach out to your local authority to find out where you stand in relation to building regulations.
Costs and Processes for Orangery Planning Permission
Visit the Planning Portal website to uncover what the cost of orangery planning permission will be and to submit your application when seeking authority approval, if indeed it’s necessary.
For convenience, we can tell you here that at present, submission of a full planning permission application in England is £624, with it costing £258 to tender a full application for an extension to a single dwelling house.
It must disclose details of the proposed materials, include accurate drawings of the planned design, and contain any stipulated supporting documentation.
Eight weeks is the average waiting time to receive notification if an application has been successful, but it can extend to 13 weeks for large or complex projects.
Professional Advice on Planning Permission for an Orangery
Orangeries that stick within the parameters set out in planning permission obligations are exempt from planning permission as they enjoy Permitted Development status, but you must never just assume that a design conforms to the rules.
We urge you to seek professional guidance and consult with your local planning authority about planning permission for orangery extensions, whose significant experience or trusted sources will confirm where you stand with it.
They, better than anyone, understand the legal constraints attached to the area in which you live and will also verify any exemption from building regulation too.
As part of our service offering, Clearview can manage all this for you, making contact with the powers that be to ascertain if a planning application needs putting together.
Visit our Helpful Guides page to download our invaluable guide to Planning Permission.
