Planning Permission
MJM Loft Conversions Harrogate can help and assist with any planning application that may be required for your loft conversion. Please read the notes below.
Planning permission is not normally required. However, permission is required where you extend or alter the roof space and it exceeds specified limits and conditions.
A loft conversion for your house is considered to be permitted development, not requiring an application for planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions
- A volume allowance of 40 cubic metres additional roof space for terraced houses*
- A volume allowance of 50 cubic metres additional roof space for detached and semi-detached houses*
- No extension beyond the plane of the existing roof slope of the principal elevation that fronts the highway
- No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof
- Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms
- Side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor
- Roof extensions not to be permitted development in designated areas**
- Roof extensions, apart from hip to gable ones, to be set back, as far as practicable, at least 20cm from the original eaves
*Bear in mind that any previous roof space additions must be included within the volume allowances listed above. Although you may not have created additional space a previous owner may have done so.
**Designated areas include Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
Please note: the permitted development allowances described here apply to houses not flats, maisonettes or other buildings.
Building Regulations
Building regulations approval is required to convert a loft or attic into a liveable space.
These notes provide guidance for making alterations to the loft space of an existing house which is no more than two storeys high. Requirements for alterations to an apartment or other dwellings like maisonettes, or houses over three storeys, will be similar but may be more extensive and possibly extend to other parts of the building.
The regulations will be applied to ensure, for example:
- the structural strength of the new floor is sufficient
- the stability of the structure (including the existing roof) is not endangered
- safe escape from fire
- safely designed stairs to the new floor
- reasonable sound insulation between the conversion and the rooms below.
You may wish to make these alterations to increase the living space of the home. If you plan to make the loft space more accessible or more habitable by, for example, installing a stair to it and improving it by boarding it out and lining the walls / rafters etc, more extensive work is likely to be required and the Building Regulations are likely to apply.
Creating a liveable space
If you decide to create a liveable space (a ‘livable space’ is where you intend to use the room as a normal part of your house, this includes spare bedrooms which may be used infrequently) in an existing loft space of a home it is likely to require a range of alterations.
Many of these could have an adverse impact on the building and its occupants if they are not properly thought out, planned and undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the legislation.
MJM Loft Conversions work to the current Building Regulations that govern that the loft conversion of your home. We ensure all the regulations are fulfilled that govern the type of we carry out.