If you are in UK, the big question before you start any kind of development project, I am sure is. Do I need planning permission for a porch? Planning permission applications usually take about 2 months to be reviewed. And this can be longer sometimes! It can sometimes feel like a never-ending wait process. Especially when you are thinking of add-ons to your construction like conservatories and porches. While some structures do not need this permission actually in the first place. There are ways which you can use to bypass the need of planning permission. Let us discuss in detail pertaining our research to porches specifically in the UK.

Do I Need Planning Permission for a Porch in UK?

As per the UK legislation, a porch is anything that is a roof and projects from the outside of a building or a doorway. It appears as a covered entrance to some space. Any paved area or low walls below this projection is part of the porch as well.

Accentuating your dwelling space with a porch on any external door to the house falls under the purview of permitted development in UK. It thus, does not require an application from the planning permission, but it must adhere to certain guidelines that have been laid out by the UK law.

  1. The external ground floor area must be less than or equal to 3 metres2.
  2. No part of the porch can be more than 3 metres above the ground level. Height measurement is done as is done for house extension.
  3. All parts of the porch are to be away by 2 metres from any boundary of any dwelling house or any highway there.
  4. The front entrance door between the existing house and the new porch must stay in place. Else it must be replaced with a new door.
  5. If the house has ramped access for the disabled or the elderly, the porch must not be a hinderance.
  6. No flats, maisonettes, converted houses, houses created through the ‘permitted development’ rights, other buildings, or exceptions will fall under this exemption to need of planning permission for porches.

So the nutshell, you won’t need permission under most circumstances, but the fines can be heavy if you are caught even out of ignorance. And preparing and submitting planning paperwork can be a heck of an activity. It can be quite tedious for the newbies who are not so experienced. Moreover, there are ways you can levy yourself off of some paperwork with the help of experienced agencies who have been operating in this field from many years. So it is always good to have a consultation before it is too late!