Rocker Ozzy Osbourne has been bitten by the home improvement bug and is planning to build a conservatory at his home in Buckinghamshire.

According to the Buckinghamshire Advertiser, the former Black Sabbath singer has applied to Chiltern District Council for planning permission for the project.

The structure would be attached to his Chalfont St Peter property and would measure 4.4 metres by 4.7 metres.

Under current planning laws, most conservatories do not require permission.

However, since Ozzy’s home falls within a Green Belt, he needs approval before he can go ahead with construction.

The application reads: “The proposed conservatory has been designed in order to have minimal impact on the openness of the Green Belt and the main house.

“Therefore it is located to the rear and to the side of the existing main house and located behind the garage.”

Ozzy Osbourne rose to fame in the 1970s with his band Black Sabbath, but has gone on to have a successful solo career.

I have listed the planning rules for conservatories in Ireland in an earlier blog, and I also have a comprehensive section in our down-loadable buyers guide however there still can be some confusion as how to apply the rules. Here are three recent instances where clients thought they did not require planning permission but actually did;

1. In Ireland planning permission is required for conservatories to the rear of the dwelling if, by adding it, the original footprint of the house has been increased by more than 40sqm. My client thought that because they had applied and received planning permission for a previous extension that this would not be included in the 40sqm. All additions with or without planning permission are included in the calculation.

2. Planning permission is required for a conservatory of any size positioned to the side of a dwelling. My client thought that there was an arguable point as to what was the side of the house and the rear of the house, I sought help on this one and was advised that the front of a house faces the main road, and the side of the house naturally is at right angles to the front. The position of the main door of the dwelling does not determine which elevation is regarded as the front.

3. Lastly a client advised me that planning permission for a conservatory was not required to the side of a dwelling as it was not a permanent structure. This is completely untrue, a conservatory is a permanent structure and under the planning laws in Ireland, planning is required to the side and front of a dwelling.

I hope this helps to clarify the current regulations and please remember 9/10 conservatories do not require planning permission as they are to the rear and are within the permitted size.

See link here for further information on planning for conservatories: http://www.conservatorydesigns.ie/how-long-does-planning-permission-for-a-conservatory-take/