Loft Conversion in Bournemouth: Do You Need Planning Permission?

The short answer: usually not, if you stay within the limits

Permitted development lets you extend the roof of a house without applying for planning permission, provided the design meets every one of the conditions below. Miss one and the whole scheme needs a full application.

The volume allowance covers every roof addition the house has ever had, so a dormer built by a previous owner counts against your total.

• Added roof volume of no more than 40 cubic metres on a terraced house, or 50 cubic metres on a semi-detached or detached house
• Nothing higher than the existing ridge line
• No dormer or roof extension on the slope facing the road (rooflights are fine if they sit no more than 150mm proud of the roof)
• Dormers set back at least 20cm from the original eaves
• Materials similar in appearance to the existing house
• Side-facing windows obscure glazed, and fixed shut unless the opening part is at least 1.7m above the floor
• No balconies, verandas or raised platforms

When you will need a full application in Bournemouth

Several situations common in Bournemouth take a loft conversion out of permitted development altogether.

• Flats and maisonettes: these have no permitted development rights. Many of the Victorian and Edwardian villas in Boscombe, Charminster and Winton have been split into flats, so a top-floor conversion there always needs planning permission, and usually the freeholder's consent as well.
• Conservation areas: Bournemouth has a good number, including East Cliff, West Cliff, Dean Park, Meyrick Park and Talbot Woods, and Holdenhurst Village. Dormers and changes to the roof shape need permission here.
• Listed buildings: you will need listed building consent as well as planning permission.
• Newer estates: some developments had permitted development rights removed as a condition of the original approval. This is worth checking on the planning history for your address.
• Designs beyond the limits: front dormers, a raised ridge, or a balcony or roof terrace to catch a sea view all need a householder application.

What tends to work on Bournemouth house types

The 1930s hipped-roof semis found across Moordown, Winton and Southbourne are well suited to a hip to gable conversion with a rear dormer. This normally fits within permitted development, but the two elements together can use up most of the 50 cubic metre allowance, so the volume needs calculating properly rather than estimating.

Bungalows in Northbourne, Kinson and Southbourne have the same rights as two-storey houses, but head height is often the sticking point. As a rule of thumb you want around 2.2m from the top of the ceiling joists to the underside of the ridge. If you have less than that, the usual fix is raising the roof, which always needs planning permission and is judged closely against the neighbouring roofline.

A simple rooflight conversion, with no dormer at all, is the least likely to trouble the planners on any house type.

Get it in writing, and do not forget the other approvals

Even when planning permission is not required, we would recommend applying to BCP Council for a Lawful Development Certificate. It is optional, but it gives you formal proof that the work was lawful, which solicitors routinely ask for when you sell. The fee is half that of a householder planning application, which is currently a little over £500 and rises each April. The target decision time is eight weeks, though it can take longer in busy periods.

Planning is only one of the consents involved. Every loft conversion needs Building Regulations approval, covering the new floor structure, fire escape route, stairs and insulation. If you share a wall with a neighbour, you will probably need to serve notice under the Party Wall Act, ideally two months before work starts. And if there are signs of bats in the roof, a survey is needed first, as they are legally protected whether or not planning applies.