Planning Permission & Building Regulations

UPVC Porches & Brick Porches

The planning rules for adding aluminium or UPVC double glazed porches are applicable to any external door to any UK dwelling house.

Adding a porch to any external door of your home in Berks, Bucks, Herts, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West London is considered to be permitted development, not requiring an application for planning permission, provided:

• The ground floor area (measured externally) does not exceed 3 square metres.
• No part would be more than 3 metres above ground level (height needs to be measured in the same way as for a home extension).
• No part of the new porch would be within 2 metres of any boundary of the dwelling house and the highway.

Please note: the permitted development allowances described above apply to houses - not flats, maisonettes or other buildings.

Building Regulations

As in the case of conservatories and/or orangeries, building a porch at ground level and under 30 square metres in floor area is normally exempt from the need for building regulation approval. This is provided that glazing and any fixed electrical installations comply with the other appropriate sections of building regulations.

For a new porch to be exempt from building regulations approval:

• The front entrance door between the existing house and the new porch must remain in place.
• If the house has ramped or level access for disabled people, the porch must not adversely affect access.

For further information on Planning Permission and Building Regulations for new double glazed Porches - contact us online or visit Hazlemere's showroom in High Wycombe - if you prefer arrange a free design visit online with our expert customer advisors or freephone 08000 825 825