A Useful Guide To North Yorkshire Building Regulations

We have experienced a steep increase of interest in our home extensions now that spring has arrived as North Yorkshire householders look to expand their residences ahead of the summer season.

So that their dream of owning a conservatory or orangery doesn’t become a nightmare, they have to ensure that the extension complies with current building regulations in the area.

Ignoring building rules, either meaningfully or innocently, is a very dangerous game to play as it can result in local authorities either demanding a structure is appropriately adapted or knocked to the ground.

Orion wouldn’t want any customer to go through that and won’t allow it to. Very early on, we advise any aspiring conservatory or orangery owner of the relevant building regulations for these sorts of extensions:

• 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.

When there’s any uncertainty about whether an extension fulfils building rules you just need to ask the planning department at your local authority for an Exempt Buildings Form – Orion is happy to organise this.

Use this form to outline your plans for the extension in detail and return it to the planning department so that they can analyse them and decide whether the extension meets the rules laid out. After a few weeks they will give you written confirmation of their decision. If they confirm they’re happy the extension fulfils the guidelines, make sure that you keep this written confirmation in a safe place as it will need to be passed on to the next owner of the property.

Planning permission is something different

Don’t confuse building regulations with planning permission as they’re two separate things.

When an extension comes under Permitted Development Rights it can automatically be constructed without a planning application. When it doesn’t, you need to obtain planning permission.  

More information about planning permission is available in our Helpful Guide about the subject. Click here to get a FREE copy. You can always call us too about planning permission and building regulations.