Will You Need Planning Permission To Add A Solid Roof?

Do you pine for the days when you would be able to use your conservatory in any weather without getting a huge sweat on or shivering?

Don’t let it remain just a distant memory. Have a look into fitting a solid roof at some point in the future to make the extension well-insulated again. 

The main thing you need to be sure of ahead of a potential solid roof installation is whether you will need planning permission for it first. 

Upsetting your local planning department isn’t a wise idea. You won’t do that if you know and abide by the rules, which are as follows:

• You must obtain Building Regulatory Approval if you want to replace a traditional glass or polycarbonate translucent roof for a brand new solid roof.

• To improve your chances of getting Building Regulatory Approval, it will help if you use an approved solid roof system, like the UltraRoof 380. It’s one of the very few solid roofs to have received an endorsement from Local Authority Building Control as they recognise it as a safe and suitable building product. The Building Control Officer involved may still ask for modifications to be made to an approved system if they are necessary to make it fully compliant e.g. addition of trickle and roof vents for ventilation. 

• What was previously considered to be a temporary extension will become a permanent structure after being fitted with a solid roof, signalling a “change of use”. Planning permission is almost always needed when a “change of use” occurs. 

• Prior to having the conservatory built, whenever that was, you may have had to obtain planning approval. If this is the case and it currently has a translucent roof, you must submit both a planning application and full buildings application.

• You won’t have needed to get planning permission for the conservatory if it was a Permitted Development. Adding a solid roof may remove those Permitted Development Rights, necessitating an application for planning permission. 

So that you don’t do anything that you’re not meant to, get in touch with your local authority building control team for assistance via the LABC website. 

You can also have a chat with James Oliver. We have a fantastic selection of solid roofs, so we’re a great company to talk to about them.