28 August 2025
It is extremely exciting to envision a beautiful, new conservatory, extension, or sunroom for your home.
But this also poses the question for many Scottish homeowners: ‘Do I need planning permission?’
At SRJ Sunrooms, we are your expert partner. We believe that your journey to transform your home should be stress-free and rewarding, which is why our team are on hand to provide you with expert advice on your unique requirements.
We have decades of experience and have improved thousands of homes since 1992. Therefore, our expertise ensures you with clarity and compliance, guiding you through three critical factors that may determine your home improvement needs through this article.
Get in touch with SRJ today or to discuss whether your conservatory, extension, or sunroom needs planning permission.
The dimensions of your conservatory or extension can be fundamental to whether you need planning permission.
For semi-detached and terraced homeowners, as a standard, you can extend up to 3 meters from your wall.
It is also important to note that the total area covered by your new living space shouldn’t exceed 50% of your original garden area.
Not only could the size and scale of your new living space determine if you need planning permission, but the location of your home could have an impact.
If your planned extension may face a road or is proposed to be added to the front of your property, this will require full planning permission.
Not only this, but your proximity to your neighbours is also really important.
Overshadowing and Loss of Light – The council may assess whether your proposed new living space will cast a shadow over your neighbour’s garden or even block light from their windows.
Party Wall Act 1996 – This is a separate legal requirement which may affect your proposal if you are planning to build on or near a shared boundary with your neighbours.
For further information or if you have any questions about your conservatory, extension, or sunroom, please contact the team at SRJ today or book a bespoke appointment to discuss your home improvement goals.
Depending on the type of home you live in, this could impact whether you need planning permission.
If you live in a conservation area, these ‘designated lands’ will require full planning permission. This is due to the goal of wanting to keep the area’s unique character.
If you live in a listed building, any work requires ‘Listed Building Consent’, which is a separate legal approval. Therefore, your structure may have to be designed in a way that carefully preserves your home’s historical and architectural integrity.
The need for planning permission depends on the three key factors discussed in this article. Whilst these key factors may impact planning permission, there are additional factors that may also affect this.
Each customer and their home is different, which means that the need for planning permission is different for everyone. To get bespoke advice for your home improvement plans, get in touch with us at SRJ Sunrooms for tailored information on your dream conservatory, extension or sunroom today.
By partnering with us, you are choosing a trusted service with expert workmanship and a 10 year platinum guarantee on all our products.
You will receive a straightforward installation and transparent customer communication. Book an appointment with us today and meet our experienced team, or call us on 01383 341 117, where our team is happy to help you.