Do You Have To Get Planning Permission For A Solid Roof?

It’s a question that crops up a lot nowadays as solid roofs increase in popularity, with conservatory owners across the county looking to use them to restore thermal efficiency in their old extensions.

What isn’t advisable is to ignore any potential planning obligations relating to a solid roof installation as it will earn you more than just a slap on the wrist.

A planning breach could see you forced to make a retrospective planning application, and who’s to say it will be accepted?

Do your homework on planning permission for solid roofs, or just read our breakdown of the key points to be aware of:

• When you are replacing a traditional glass or polycarbonate translucent roof for a solid roof, you will firstly have to obtain Building Regulatory Approval.

• You have a better chance of being given Building Regulatory Approval when the solid roofing system is LABC (Local Authority Building Control) and LABSS (Local Authority Building Standards Scotland) approved. The UltraRoof is one of the very few solid roofs to have this endorsement as it has been declared as a safe and suitable building product. To make the solid roof comply with the guidelines, the Building Control Officer may request that it is modified to include roof and trickle vents for ventilation. The General Roofing Contractor Concord can help with fixing any issues your roof might have.

• There is a so-called “change of use” when you swap a glass roof for a solid roof as this turns a conservatory from a temporary extension into a permanent extension. A “change of use” will usually require a submission for planning permission.

• Prior to having the conservatory constructed, you may have had to apply for planning approval. If that’s what happened and the extension has a translucent roof, you must do two things – apply for planning permission and put in a full building regulations application.

• Did the conservatory enjoy Permitted Development Rights back when it was first built? Permitted Developments are exempt from planning permission, so long as they satisfy certain limits and conditions. However, installing a solid roof takes away those Permitted Development Rights, meaning that you will have to submit a planning application.

Hopefully, this gives you some understanding of the rules revolving around solid roofs, but if there’s anything else you need to know, your local authority building control team should have the answer.

You can find contact details for them through the LABC website.

Orion Windows is also around to offer any support. After all, we do have a superb solid tiled roof range.