For many householders, having a Victorian style orangery is the height of ambition for a home improvement. While other work such as fitting a new kitchen or extending above the garage may appeal to some, the idea of adding a beautiful, light-filled space at the back of the home to offer both space and a place where fruit can be grown is a dream.
Of course, there are several steps to be taken before that ambition can be fulfilled. One of these is the issue of planning permission.
The good news is you may not need planning permission at all. The reason for this is that, as a single-storey addition to a home, it usually falls under the ‘permitted development right’ provisions of the law, which are designed to allow householders some leeway with how they modify a property they own.
This would depend on the structure fulfilling certain criteria. For example, if it is not an addition to a previous extension, does not extend by more than four metres from the back of a detached property or three metres from a terrace or semi, is no more than four metres high, does not have a higher roof than your existing property and takes up less than half the land around the existing home.
In addition, it cannot include any verandas or balconies; which may be a disappointment if you were planning to perform Romeo and Juliet in your back garden.
Should the orangery plan stretch beyond any of these criteria, planning permission will be needed.
Another consideration is that of legal exceptions to the above, such as may apply in conservation areas. If your home is located in one, permitted development rights may not apply, although this is at the discretion of the local authority. They may also impose narrower criteria on what is acceptable as permitted development within the area.
Of course, a Victorian-style orangery or conservatory may be just the style that could get permission easily if the reason for your neighbourhood being in a conservation area is dominance by high-quality Victorian architecture and heritage, since this is the very character that such areas exist to protect and preserve.
The other instance where extra planning permission requirements exist is when a building is located in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) or a National Park. The UK has 46 AONBs, including areas in the Home Counties like the Chilterns, Surrey Hills, Kent Downs and the High Weald, while there are 15 national parks.
In the case of AONBs, each one has its own planning authority that can advise what does or does not need planning permission. National Parks have their own statutory planning authorities that set strict rules on what can and cannot be built.
Given all these considerations, you may be glad to know that at Foxfurd part of our service is to investigate whether you need planning permission and will then deal with the process on your behalf if it is required. That way, you can focus on your dreams for your new orangery.