What Are The Building Rules And Regulations In North Yorkshire?

Building regulations probably aren’t high on your agenda of things to think about if you’re planning to buy a conservatory or orangery, but they should be close to the top of the list.

You of course need to decide what style of conservatory or orangery you want, the best choice of material and coloured finish, and how you will accessorise the design, however, there’s no point thinking about any of this until you categorically know the extension complies with North Yorkshire building regulations.

We stress the importance of compliance as non-compliance with the rules can cause all sorts of problems for yourself.

When your local authority discovers that your extension is non-compliant they could force you to sufficiently modify the design at extra cost and they’re also in their rights to tell you to completely demolish the structure.

We would hate either scenario to happen and they shouldn’t if you know the rules for conservatories and orangeries:

• At ground level and not exceed 30m2 floor area.
• Glazed to satisfy the requirements of Approved Document K of Schedule 1.
• Physically separated internally from the building it is attached to, for example, by a door.
• Without sanitary appliances.
• Not intended for year round habitable use.
• Used to some extent for the propagation of plants.

Any uncertainty as to whether your extension satisfies the rules can be clarified by asking the appropriate North Yorkshire planning department for an Exempt Buildings Form.

Fill in this form with as much detail as you can so that the planners can assess your intentions and determine if you have their clearance to go ahead with the installation. They will confirm their decision either way in writing after several weeks. When they rule in your favour, keep the written confirmation safe somewhere so that you can present it in the future to the next occupier of the house as proof that the extension complies with building regulations.

Planning permission is just as important

Aren’t building regulations and planning permission the same thing? Well actually they’re not!

Unless you have Permitted Development Rights, something you can read about in detail here, you need to check whether you must obtain planning permission before proceeding with the installation.

All the information you need to know about planning permission can be found in a FREE downloadable document on our Helpful Guides page.