There are myriad reasons to have a canopy at the entrance to your business – from drawing attention to it so it stands out to creating a welcome, branded feel from the minute someone arrives at your building. Equally, a structure like this provides shelter for anyone leaving or entering the building. So make a classy entrance, whatever the nature of your business.
One thing people often ask us is whether they will need to apply for planning permission from their local authority before they can install an entrance canopy at their premises. As you’re no doubt already aware, some building work can’t go ahead without planning permission, so it’s a legal requirement in some cases.
For commercial canopies, for example those in retail spaces, hospitality settings or office buildings, there isn’t a simple yes or no answer to this question. And that’s because it will typically depend on the type of project, and its scope.
Essentially, if what you want to erect falls within what are known as Permitted Development Rights, as many commercial projects do, formal planning permission is not required. (Unless, that is, you’re based in a listed building, in which case a different set of rules applies.)
However, you’ll need to meet a number of specific conditions, including:
- Size limitations: Floor space of any new extension should not take up more than 25% of the original structure’s floor space or 100 square meters, whichever is smaller.
- Closeness to boundaries: No part of the structure should fall within five metres of the boundary of your property. (This is less likely to affect entrance canopies, but essentially means you can’t build slap-bang against your boundary.)
- Height restrictions: The height of any new structure should not be greater than five metres. Extensions also shouldn’t exceed five metres if they’re less than 10 metres from the boundary, or the height of the existing building if further away.
- Closeness to playing fields: If your business happens to be on land that’s been used as a playing field during the previous five years, it must stay available to be used again for that purpose.
So you should always check with your local authority to be sure you’re fitting your entrance canopy legally, and then apply for planning permission as necessary if required.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that, even if you don’t need planning permission, you may still need to comply with building regulations – discuss with your canopy provider before work begins.
Entrance canopies from Kensington Systems
At Kensington Systems, we supply versatile, high-quality commercial entrance canopies which are built to last, to create a stunning first impression. Look forward to a 25-year warranty, end-to-end project management plus an innovative, modern design.
Additionally, we work with a range of materials including steel and timber, plus our Spaceshade® aluminium products which are exclusive to us.
We’ll always discuss planning permission and building regulations ahead of each project before starting work, and understand the rules well, as well as how to apply for planning permission successfully.
Talk to us today and get the ball rolling on your project with a free, no-obligation initial discussion.
