Kitchen in conservatory

[mrkjd]

I know the different BC Approved Docs have different definitions of "habitable room" but is it permissible for the purposes of planning / building control to have a kitchen in a planned extension which satisfies permitted development and building control definition of a "conservatory" (size, 75% glass roof, external quality door between main house etc)?

 

[Nakajo]

The trend these days is for open plan living, so it seems odd to want to separate the kitchen off into a separately heated compartment.

 

[Notabrickie]

Temperature in a conny will range from 40 degrees in a hot summer to freezing in winter. Not sure it's a good place for a kitchen.

 

[mrkjd]

A set of double "external rated" doors left open would effectively integrate it to rest of house and adding one of those replacement insulated roof systems later would help regulate temp ( or are people supposed to inform BC if they do that? Just trying to weigh up if I should go for an all out extension or minimise contact with planning and BC

 

[^woody^]

I know the different BC Approved Docs have different definitions of "habitable room"

No they don't.

You can't have s kitchen in a conservatory, else it's a kitchen not a conservatory, funnily enough.

 

[OwainDIYer]

A conservatory is not a habitable room, therefore if you have the only kitchen in a conservatory, the house does not have a habitable kitchen and is therefore uninhabitable and unmortgageable. You could have a 'utility room' in the house which meets the requirement for a kitchen (sink, cupboard/worktop, space for a cooker).

Conservatories do not add their cost in value to the property (and may actually detract from the property value); if you want a new kitchen then build it as a habitable room.

 

[mrkjd]

Woody, this is why I mentioned different BC having different definitions of "inhabitable" (from Planning Portal)

For example, the Building Regulations Approved documents provide 3 separate definitions in different parts:

• Part B: A room used, or intended to be used, for dwellinghouse purposes (including for the purposes of Part B, a kitchen but not a bathroom).
• Part F: A room used for dwelling purposes but which is not solely a kitchen, utility room, bathroom, cellar or sanitary accommodation.
• Part M: a room used, or intended to be used, for dwelling purposes including a kitchen but not a bathroom or utility room.

Owain, Interesting angle re house being uninhabitable if kitchen in conservatory. I would agree that a few ikea units plonked in a plastic conservatory would be unlikely to sell or add value but the blur between conservatory and extension in regs and possibility of having a kitchen "extension" without BC or Planning involvement is intriguing (norwithstanding electrics etc being signed off)

 

[^woody^]

Woody, this is why I mentioned different BC having different definitions of "inhabitable" (from Planning Portal)

For example, the Building Regulations Approved documents provide 3 separate definitions in different parts:

• Part B: A room used, or intended to be used, for dwellinghouse purposes (including for the purposes of Part B, a kitchen but not a bathroom).
• Part F: A room used for dwelling purposes but which is not solely a kitchen, utility room, bathroom, cellar or sanitary accommodation.
• Part M: a room used, or intended to be used, for dwelling purposes including a kitchen but not a bathroom or utility room.

Owain, Interesting angle re house being uninhabitable if kitchen in conservatory. I would agree that a few ikea units plonked in a plastic conservatory would be unlikely to sell or add value but the blur between conservatory and extension in regs and possibility of having a kitchen "extension" without BC or Planning involvement is intriguing (norwithstanding electrics etc being signed off)

You are misinterpreting those definitions in each document. Those statements all define the same habitable rooms for the purposes of the Building Regulations, but then state what rooms the particular document is referring to.

Building Regulations do not defined or deal with whether a property is habitable or not if it does or does not have a kitchen.

 

[chappers]

Temperature in a conny will range from 40 degrees in a hot summer to freezing in winter. Not sure it's a good place for a kitchen.

Whilst the posts on this thread are all valid the above is the only one that really you need read. A conservatory that falls outside of planning or building regs is not the place for a kitchen, it just won't be a nice environment .