Jewson welcomes planning changes

Jewson, the UK’s leading supplier of timber has welcomed the recent changes to planning law in relation to home extensions claiming that the move supports ‘everyone in the trade’.

The new rules, which came into effect at the back end of last year, will result in 80,000 fewer planning applications and means that homeowners can now employ builders to get straight to work without having to spend valuable time and money on the planning stages.

Homeowners can now add to or extend their home without planning permission provided that a new set of criteria is met. Whilst a comprehensive breakdown can be found at www.planningportal.gov.uk, key guidelines include: No more than half the area of land around the original house can be covered by additions or other buildings; no extension can be higher than the highest part of the roof; two storey extensions are to be no more than seven metres to the rear boundary; the maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension can be no more than three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.The change in planning laws, which supports homeowners looking to increase the size of their home, will ultimately provide increased demand for builders who have been feeling the effects of the downturn in construction.

As Neil Lawrence, Sales & Operations Director at Jewson comments: “The combination of a change in planning laws and a reluctance for homeowners to move in the current climate has provided an ideal situation for people to ‘improve’ rather than ‘move’, as well as increase the size and long-term value of their home. The current economic outlook for builders is undeniably tough however the relaxation of the government’s approach to planning goes some way to support the trade by driving demand for skilled builders. The new planning laws now in place make it an easier and cheaper proposition for homeowners to create their perfect home, which can only be a positive thing for the trade.”