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Afternoon All,
Following on from another post about loft conversion it got me thinking about a project that we are about to embark on.
We have a little cottage that has a conservatory/lean to at the back of the house that is open to the kitchen and currently houses the dogs.
The construction is a single thickness brick wall to about 100cm then a double glazed UPVC construction with a twin cavity perspex roof.
To be honest its not a looker but is a very useful space.
A friend of ours is a builder and when talking through our options of making it a bit more insulated etc he suggested that we clad the side of the conservatory with UPVC (leaving the glass in place) and insulate internally with cellotex etc - plaster internally etc
Then adding a more solid roof structure with Velox windows etc.
The space already has mains power and central heating
Now do I need to approach the council about such an amendment?
The structure already exists we just want to tart it up a bit.
Don't know if it requires building regs but if it did and is open to the kitchen as you describe I think it's highly unlikely it'd be able to meet current regs
anything structural ie adding a new roof with velux??, adding to the insulation esp if open to the kitchen ie no original external door would require a building regs application officially. if you ever want to sell you should get it and will need it.
If you can smarten it up without changing the roof (you can change like for like so you could upgrade to the tricell polycarbonate thickest you can get or double glazed units on the roof) and upgrade the walls and accept it for what it is or do it properly.
Actually, it depends on the history of the existing extension. If it was built 'legally', ie you have a building warrant or can show some historical local authority approval for it, then you are well placed as there is generally no requirement for you to make an application for work that is considered an improvement[u]. Hypothetically speaking, it might be that this existing extension was built a long time ago when the building regulations were more relaxed than they are now.
But I suspect by the sounds of things the extension might not have such approval, or at least, you won't have any legal or formal documents to prove it as such. If this is the case you will need to make a building warrant application for the works in line with current regulations. You should call your duty building warrant officer at the local authority for further advice, they should (and usually are) quite helpful.
You will need an architect or technician/surveyor to assist in preparing drawings and the application. They will also verify that your builder's proposals will meet the current regulations.
Plannning applications are generally only relevant where you are altering the external appearance of the property (unless you live in a listed property in which case internal alterations also need consent). I'm assuming the uPVC is planned as an external cladding and as such, will likely require a formal application. Although again I would call your duty planning officer at the local authority and they will keep you right as this is all very much dependant on the area, type of property etc.
Hope this helps, feel free to ask any more questions if anything is unclear.
Building warrants are Scotland only I think
I mention this only because someone manning the phones at an English LA might get confused by someone asking for a duty building warrant officer 🙂
Yeah, fair point ebygomm, BW's are Scottish terminology. The rules/procedures and regs are almost exactly the same though... save for a few obscure differences that aren't relevant to this query.
Mind you I'd be a bit surprised and just a bit apprehensive if the guy or girl manning the phones at the local authority was confused by a request for the duty building warrant officer. I hope they'd make the connection! ❓
I would not be at all surprised if they couldn't make the connection 🙂
Eye I had a feeling you'd say that...
I believe (and I raise this as a question for someone more in the know than me to answer) that you may be able to build a conservatory without planning permission when you would need planning permission for a more solid extension of the same size and shape?
Therefore, although your conservatory may be legal, converting it into "not a conservatory" may require PP?
But the simple answer is to phone your local planners and ask them. I've found mine to be quite helpful (sometimes).