If you want to do a certain piece of development in your building then you need to take permission from the government according to the parliament of the UK. No matter how small or big your modification you must take the dormer planning permission. However, if your development falls under permitted development rights then you do not need planning permission for the dormer. So what are permitted development Rights? It is a list of rules which if you obey, you can complete the project or the modification while not having to do the making planning permission.
A huge hassle that everybody is going through, is not understanding what they are allowed to do under planning permission. Many people ask me this question, Do you need planning permission for a dormer? This article will answer this question and also if you want to know more about the rights, rules, and regulations more accurately then stick with us till the end.
As you might know, a loft conversion is the most cost-efficient and time-efficient approach to add more value to your house. But for the loft conversion, you must take permission from the government to see whether or not your development will affect your neighbour or even your existing house. There are many types of loft conversion, for example, hip to a gable loft conversion, dormer loft conversion.
In this article, I tell you whether your dormer loft conversion will need planning permission or not. I will show you the guidelines and step-by-step process to where you should go now. However, before I start, you should know that this article is only for guidance purposes. There may be hidden interests in your project or other restrictions on your property that will prevent you from doing the conversion without planning permission. For this reason, my advice will always be to seek professional advice for having a proper understanding of your situation. First, let us know about the dormer loft conversion.
# Dormer Loft Conversion
In the United Kingdom, the dormer loft conversion is the most common type of loft conversion. Dormer loft conversion works great when you have a sloping roof. Dormer Loft conversion a window is added in such a way that increases the length of the room. The window must be facing the front side of the house as it is the rule given by the government. This extension might be a square-shaped box that might be ninety degrees to the sloping roof.
The benefit of having the dormer loft conversion is that you are eventually hitting two birds with one stone. You are not only extending the headspace of your loft, but you are increasing the length of the floor. The room will have the best view of the house as it will have a window at the top.
You can add almost anything in the room, it could be a bedroom, it could be a bathroom, or even your study room. There is no restriction on what space can be, but there are certain restrictions on how you can shape and keep the room. How is right there are key considerations that you need to keep in mind before going for the conversion. For example, you need to think about the space below the Loft. Will this space allow you to get up safely into the loft.
# Do You Need Planning Permission For A Dormer?
You will be glad to hear that the dormer loft conversions do not require planning permission because it falls under permitted development rights. But it is not always the case. There are certain conditions that your property has to fulfill if you want to do that project without having to go into the complex process of planning permission. Permitted development rights were introduced to help you extend the house easily And to add peace and harmony throughout the land.
Now it was the parliament of the UK that introduced the planning permission rather than your local Council. And the local authority cannot surpass the Parliament because the local authority has the right to give you article 4 which is the announcement that your permitted development rights are disregarded. So should know all the conditions before you know anything about do you need planning permission for a dormer? Here are the conditions.
- Firstly, if you have already used permitted development rights to create your dwelling. For example, if you are building something else and you use permitted development rights to convert into a dwelling then you are not eligible to apply for permitted development rights.
- You can add a dormer, but this dormer cannot be taller than the highest height of the loft. So you cannot do anything so that it can go beyond your ridge height.
- If you live in an area that is considered to have charm and character, then your local authority will not allow you to ruin that area by disturbing the pattern. The places which are considered to have some charm and character are conservation areas or national parks or even a site of historic interest.
- The materials you are using are similar to the rest of the house. If your house is built up of some lead, a bit of timber, you need to create your dormer out of that material. If your house is only made of wood, you can only use the timber. So you do not have something completely alien to the existing house.
- You cannot have verandas or balconies in the loft and the dormer window should not overlook your neighbour’s house.
- A single-storey building most often falls under permitted development.
- There are rules on the size of the square-shaped dormer that you can extend. If you live in a semi-detached property then you can extend your dormer up to 50cm3. If you live in a detached property you can also extend your dormer up to 50cm3. If you live in terraced property then you can extend your loft up to 40cm3. And finally, if you live at the end of the terrace then you can extend up to 40cm3.
Do I Need Building Regs For A Dormer?
However, do not forget even if you are fulfilling those requirements still you should ensure it meets current building regulations for a loft conversion and you have the complete set of certificates to prove you do. It is important because when it comes to selling your property, you must have all the paperwork in your hand. Hope this article answered your question, “Do you need planning permission for a dormer?”. And if you want to know more about planning permission for a loft conversion then click on the link.
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