Conservatories and orangeries are still popular home improvement projects in the UK. A Nationwide survey from 2025 found that, of the homeowners who added an outbuilding to their property, 23 per cent chose a conservatory.
Modern conservatories are a great way to add more space to your home. They can provide a beautiful, light space that you can use for entertaining or simply relaxing.
Although older conservatory designs have a reputation for being too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, professionally designed and built conservatories and orangeries can be used comfortably year round.
There are various design options to ensure that the space remains a comfortable temperature no matter what the weather is doing. Our design team can help you work out what option is best for your home based on the orientation of the orangery and the style you’d like.
But if you’re considering adding a conservatory or orangery onto your property, you may be wondering if you need to seek planning permission. It’s a common question, so we’ve done our best to give you a quick guide to what you need to know.
Do you need planning permission for an orangery or conservatory?
In England, conservatories are covered under the same rules as home extensions. Up to a certain size, these are considered permitted developments, which means you don’t need to seek planning permission.
There are rules around how much of your land you can build on, as well as the overall size of the conservatory and its height.
What rules do you need to bear in mind when adding a conservatory or orangery?
No extension can cover more than half the land around the original house. This means you need to consider whether the property has already been extended before you work out how large of a conservatory you can build.
Extensions of any kind must not be taller than the height of the existing roof, or higher at the eaves than the existing eaves.
Given that conservatories and orangeries are only single-storey extensions, you likely won’t need to worry so much about the height aspect of the regulations.
If you’re adding a conservatory to the side of your home, rather than the back, it must not be more than a single storey and it can only be half the width of the original house.
Of course, there are different rules if you live in a conservation area or have a listed building.
Do you need planning permission to add a conservatory to a listed building?
To make any changes to a listed building in England you’ll need to apply for what’s known as listed building consent.
This will give you permission to make changes to your property provided they are considered to be in keeping with the house. If you have a Victorian or Edwardian home, you may feel that a conservatory will complement the building given that this is the period when such extensions became popular.
According to Historic England, the best option is to work with professionals on a bespoke design for your orangery or conservatory. This way you can ensure that it is in keeping with the rest of your home, giving you a better chance of receiving consent.
You may want to build a traditional orangery, but this isn’t necessarily essential, even in an older property. You can choose a more contemporary design, but you are more likely to receive approval if you complement the colours of your home with the paint colour of the wooden frame.
Similarly, if you choose to build your plinth from the same kind of material as your home, this will help it feel more aligned with the property, even if it’s listed.
What should I do if I’m not sure whether I need planning permission?
In all cases, it is best to contact your local planning authority if you are unsure whether the conservatory or orangery design you would ideally like is suitable for your home.
Doing so before you start any work will give you peace of mind going into the project and ensure that you don’t waste money building a structure that later has to be removed. That might sound extreme, but it can happen if you don’t follow the relevant rules.
Of course, if you’re working with professional conservatory and orangery designers, they will be able to guide you and help you understand how to interpret any planning regulations that apply.
Conservatories and orangeries are wonderful additions for any home though, so it is well worth exploring if you feel you would like to have more space in your property.