Nearly all homeowners at some point have had dreams of building a loft conversion in Leeds or an extension, for a variety of reasons, for example, they may want to extend a master bedroom to include an en-suite bathroom, provide a spacious children’s play area, create a hobby room, a home office or perhaps to add a games room. Building a Loft Conversion in Leeds is a simple and quick way to achieve this, while increasing the value of your property.
More often than not, loft conversions are considered a permitted development and will not require planning permission, as long the building work fits certain criteria attached to your building. If your plans exceed these limits and conditions, like extending or altering the roof space beyond its current boundaries, you will need to apply for planning permission.
What is Permitted Development for Loft Conversions in Leeds?
New planning rules and regulations came into force on 1st October 2008, these state the size of the proposed building extension, its position in relation to the house, and its proximity within your existing boundaries before the need to apply for planning permission, they must:
- Not exceed the volume of 40 cubic meters of additional space for a terraced house, or 50 cubic meters for detached and semi-detached houses. All previous roof space additions must be included within this volume allowance.
- Not have any dormers or extensions on the roof plane of the front elevation facing the road.
- Not contain any extension that extends beyond the highest part of the roof
- Be constructed with materials similar in appearance to the existing house. This does not include porches, verandas or elevated platforms
- Have obscure-glazed side facing windows for any opening 1.7m above the floor
- Roof extensions need to be placed back at least 20cm from the eaves, as measured by the roof plane (excluding hip to gable).
Which Loft Conversions in Leeds Require Planning Permission?
Exceeding Permitted Development
If your plans for a loft conversion exceed any, or all the restrictions to be considered a permitted development, you will need to apply for planning permission before going ahead with your conversion, failure do so can be quite expensive and even illegal.
Flat or Maisonette
If you are planning a development for a flat or maisonette these can vary in many key areas in comparison to houses.
For example, building an external roof extension or a dormer, would require planning permission, whereas internal works, do not generally require planning permission, though local interpretation can differ, so it is important to have clarification before proceeding with any works.
Can I build a Loft Conversion in a Conservation Area?
If you live in a conservation area you are strictly required to apply for planning permission. It is therefore important to be aware and rigorously follow any home development regulations to understand how these can restrict your home improvements, dormers, and roof extensions to conform to the existing environment. If you fail to do this you may face a fine, imprisonment, or both.
Can I get some Loft Conversion Planning Permission advice?
Of course! The reason we’ve developed such a strong reputation as a loft conversion company in Leeds is because of our dedication to helping out whenever we can!
If you’re not sure if your loft can be converted, then give us a call on 0113 436 0251 and we’ll do what we can to advise you!
