General Overview
Conservatories or porches, meeting the criteria
detailed will not require the submission of a building
regulation application. (Please be aware that these rules do
not apply to planning permission; please contact the planning
office for further information).
Exemption Criteria
1. The internal floor area of the conservatory or porch must not
be more than 30 square metres.
2. For conservatories, the walls and roof must be substantially
glazed with transparent or translucent material. Substantially
glazed is assumed to be not less than three quarters of its roof
area and not less than one half of its external wall made from
translucent material.
3. Glazing must meet the requirements for critical location
safety glazing (see safety glazing guidance)
4. The door between the dwelling and conservatory or porch must
remain in-situ.
5. No fixed heating to be installed within the conservatory.
Notes
If you are forming openings between the conservatory and the
dwelling, say for instance, by the removal a window frame and the
brickwork below (with no structural alterations made to the support
lintels) this is work to a ‘controlled fitting’. If you are not
using an approved competent person scheme installer this would
require a building regulation application (see replacement
windows guidance). Any doors installed between the conservatory
and the house would have to be double glazed to the same thermal
standards for windows.
Should you have to widen an existing opening to form a door
opening, which will require the provision of new structural lintels
- this alone will require a building regulation application.
It is advisable that the porch or conservatory is constructed so
as not restrict access to any habitable room escape windows,
including loft escape windows.
You are advised to check your deeds for any restrictions that
apply to extending your property.
It is a ‘Material Alteration’ requiring the submission of a
building regulation application, if the works you are undertaking
make access to or access into the dwelling any worse than it is
now. You should therefore be careful to ensure that the new
doors do not have clear opening widths less than the existing
doors, that thresholds are provided where none existed previously,
(particularly with upvc doors), and that the manoeuvring room into
the dwelling is sufficient to allow a wheel chaired person to gain
access. The porch or conservatory must not obstruct access to the
main dwelling entrance doors.
If the conservatory is to have
electricity supplied from a source shared with or located within
the dwelling, then the building regulations apply to the electrical
works (see electrical safety guidance).
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