roofing
Improve your property with skylights
Sunsquare is a designer and manufacturer of bespoke skylights to be awarded a BSI Kitemark in the industry. As an expert in his field, MD of the company Justin Seldis talks through the legislation concerning installation for landlords
than simply working on improving existing features. If you’re carrying out maintenance work on the roof, adding a rooflight can create a stand-out feature that will impress both current and future tenants. Planning permission can be a sticking point when it comes to making alterations to any property. But with skylights, wrangling over approval is less common than you might think. This is usually because a skylight falls in as part
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of an already agreed extension, or it’s a replacement of an existing window. However, just because it is rare to come up against objections, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. It is always important to seek advice before you go ahead with making any changes. In England and Wales, the insertion of new roof windows is subject to the current limits and conditions stipulated by the government’s Planning Portal. This comes under Schedule 2, article 3, part 1, class C permitted development. It states that:
1. Any alteration cannot project more than 150 millimetres from the existing roof plane.
2. No alteration can be greater than the highest part of the existing roof.
3. Side-facing windows must be obscure glazed with any opening to be made 1.7 metres above the floor.
If your project fails to comply with one or more
of the above, then your development won’t be permitted and a second application would need to
roperty maintenance will inevitably sometimes mean replacing or upgrading elements of your housing stock, rather
be resubmitted following amendments to your plans. Generally pyramid or lantern skylights are more
of a problem as they stick above the parapet and can create an eyesore to neighbours.
“It is always important to seek advice before you go ahead with making any changes. In England and Wales, the insertion of new roof windows is subject to the current limits and conditions stipulated by the government’s Planning Portal”
If the property in which you want to install a new
skylight is a listed building, or in a designated conservation area, then you should check with your local planning authority before carrying out any work. Additionally, there may be specific types of planning restriction that mean certain works which could normally be undertaken will be the subject of control. It’s important to note that planning laws in
Scotland are rather different than those in England and Wales.
44 | HMM March 2016 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
Planning permission for roof windows is often required for even the most straightforward of skylight designs and Scottish property owners should contact their local authority to work out the best way forward. Similarly, homeowners in Ireland should also
contact their local authority for advice because failure to obtain permission where it is required can result in penalties - including imprisonment. Building regulations are an issue quite separate
to planning permission and should always be taken seriously. After all, the removal, addition or alteration of a skylight can have a detrimental impact on a roof which can, in turn, make a building unsafe. Even if planning permission is not required, building regulations cannot be ignored. By law, any building or structural modification
work must comply with building controls which stipulate minimum standards for design
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