Richmond Council defies Government on conservatories

Conservative-run Richmond Council is seeking to defy the Government over relaxing planing rules on conservatories and home extensions. The proposal is to allow the length of an extension which doesn't require planning permission to be doubled from four to eight yards. There will remain a restriction that no more than half the garden can be taken up.

Richmond Council leader Lord True says:

"I have already asked the chief executive with officers to consider what this council might be able to do if we are not successful in getting these, in my view, very foolish proposals changed."

The Council's officials are "reading through the proposals with legal advisers with a fine tooth-comb to identify any flexibility".

There may find there is some.

A DCLG spokesman says:

"The government has eased the planning restrictions and costly bureaucracy that prevents families and businesses from making improvements to their properties because it will help thousands of people move up the property ladder or expand their business without having to relocate.

"However, if there are genuine local concerns councils can withdraw permitted development rights locally using existing powers - known as article four directions - if the exercise of those planning freedoms resulted in unacceptable impacts on their community."