Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard has been ordered to tear down the £30,000 conservatory at his Surrey home by the council planning department. Runnymede Borough Council said the 17ft by 13.5ft structure is too big and was put up without permission.

A property agent working for Sir Cliff applied for retrospective planning permission for the conservatory. It is said to contravene Green Belt area rules because it adds more than 30% extra floor space to the home.

The agent claims Sir Cliff was told by the conservatory company it did not require planning permission.

CR Smith’s architect and drawing office work through all the relevant planning applications for customers. CR Smith also takes responsibility for the structure to comply with building and planning regulations – many other companies pass the responsibility on to the customer.

Cool Conservatory

CR Smith has launched a tiled Sunroom which is the perfect extension for those who want a light and bright home. There are windows all the way round the exterior of the structure and a tiled roof.

Velux windows can be installed in the roof to allow even more air to flow into the building and provide plenty of natural light.

Smart Glass Conservatories

At this time of year, when the sun is shining, dirty marks on glass are far more noticeable than in the duller months. While we shouldn’t complain about the sunshine, conservatory owners may struggle to reach all the panes for cleaning – particularly those on the roof.

To combat this problem CR Smith offers SMARTGLASS™ on its conservatory roofs. SMARTGLASS™ has one pane of solar controlled shaded glass on the inside which will help keep the room cool. On the outside there is a sheet of self-cleaning glass. The self-cleaning glass has a coating which breaks up organic elements such as birds dropping so that rain water can wash off any marks.

Conservatory Materials

A conservatory should be an extension to your home, not something that resembles an afterthought plonked on the end or an add – on.

At CR Smith, we go to extraordinary lengths to make a conservatory look as if it’s been there since the house was built – even if that was over a hundred years ago.

We have very strong relationships with brick merchants and make enquiries if we hear interesting old buildings are going to be demolished, in order to source brick that is in-keeping with a customer’s requirements. For example, one customer’s conservatory used stone from the former Scottish and Newcastle building. We even matched the original under-build as well as the finish of the house walls.

CR Smith always goes that extra mile – from collating the information, finding the materials, designing the conservatory to suit customer’s specific needs and building a top-class and energy-efficient conservatory.

Draft Excluders

Cats, dogs, snakes, frogs, rabbits and draft excluders have long been a fixture in many traditional Scottish homes to keep the ‘fresh’ breeze out.
All modern CR Smith doors are manufactured to keep the cold out and the warmth in. The doors are sealed all the way round, whereas an old timber door simply closes against a frame, allowing a space for the draft to seep in.

New doors have a neoprene gasket which goes all the way around the frame and around the door. When the door shuts, the neoprene of the door closes tightly on the neoprene of the frame allowing no gaps to form.

Nowadays, though, there are some quite fetching draft excluders on offer that look good as a decoration.

The Hosts with the Most and a Conservatory

Mrs Warner had always wanted a conservatory on and off for a few years, since Mr Warner was retiring soon, they thought the best way to enjoy their retirement was in a conservatory surrounded by their family.

The biggest deciding factor to go for a conservatory was that they wanted to get the most out of their garden in the winter months. A south-facing conservatory got light most of the day and they thought a conservatory would be ideal for creating that atmosphere.

They had a few companies in to give them quotes but decided to call in the experts. The main reason for choosing CR Smith was due to a work colleague recommending CR Smith. He had a conservatory from CR Smith as well and was delighted with it. Once they went to the Show Complex at head office in Dunfermline it them a really good idea of what they wanted and they could actually visualise it.

perfect conservatory for hosting

The perfect addition to any home

They wanted a conservatory that was part of the house and it gives a real through feel. There are two doors in the conservatory, one from the Living room and one from the dining room to create living space in the house. The room will be used for entertaining both family and friends. Mrs Warner looks after the grandchildren and they love the space from the garden in the house and they can play in the conservatory and still feel like they are outside.

The Warner Conservatory

Mr Warner is a keen bowler and has been doing so for nearly 30 years. So he will entertain his friends in the conservatory! Both Mr and Mrs Warner are keen hosts and take turns to entertain family and friends. They will now be able to relax and enjoy the winter months as well as the summer months throughout their retirement.

A Little Piece of Conservatory Heaven for the Pennykids

Walker and Irene Pennykid of East Calder originally had an old DIY conservatory constructed from a kit attached to their home. But, the couple began to feel that perhaps it was time to upgrade to a product of a higher standard and quality. They also wished for a more up-to-date design.

CR Smith Conservatories

They approached CR Smith for a few reasons, as explained by Mrs Pennykid. “Over the past three years we have had all of the windows and doors in our home replaced by CR Smith, so we were aware of the quality product and service that they provide. In the past we had discovered that they bend over backwards for you and nothing is a problem for them. The name sells itself!”

Cr Smith Conservatory Design

And the Pennykids’ faith in their tried and tested company certainly paid off. “We are absolutely thrilled with our new conservatory. It’s just perfect. In fact, sometimes when I am out in the garden looking at it, I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming and it really is ours!” enthused Mrs Pennykid, who is now retired but used to work assisting a planning engineer for BAE systems.

Both Pennykids, who have been in their home for ten years, were in agreement when they said: “We use our conservatory for everything. We have all our meals in here, we use it to relax in, to read in, and sometimes just to look outside and watch the birds and wildlife at play. It’s warm and airy with no draughts – it’s brilliant. And I can tell you now that we will definitely be having our next Christmas in here too! It’s sheer heaven!”

CR Smith Conservatory for Life

Mrs Pennykid also praised the quality of the product, saying: “Unlike our last conservatory, these ones are built for strength and to last. From the deep foundations that were laid, to the insulation underneath the floorboards, to the thickness of the roof. It’s all marvellous and it was money well spent! I really am over the moon with it!”

Conservatories – Extending Your Home

The Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has relaxed planning rules on home extensions in a bid to boost the nation’s economy.

He has defiantly said families should get ‘on the phone to their architects’ to draw up plans to extend homes by up to a fifth of their current size. In Italy, 85% of people own their homes. The Prime Minister has said that if 10% of those take advantage of the new planning rules, between $60bn and $70bn will be pumped into the economy totalling between four and six per cent of the gross national product.

The legislation is due to come into force in the next week or so through a government decree.

Extending your home adds value to your property and can have a positive effect on your quality of life – particularly when it is more difficult to buy and sell homes and moving is not an option. A conservatory from CR Smith could be the perfect addition to your home.

Extending Your Home

Finishing Touches for the Perfect Conservatory

The CR Smith design team does a lot more than simply measure a house to identify an ‘off-the-shelf’ product. By identifying a customer’s needs and wants, the team can create a conservatory to their exact specification so it will be the perfect addition to the home.

CR Smith Conservatory Design

For instance, most companies offer a standard height of base wall for the entire conservatory. However, in one home our designer used a stepped wall where different sections were at different heights, making it feel like a graduated continuation of the house.

In other homes our designers have recommended continuing the floor finish of an adjoining room into the conservatory. This creates a feeling of space, as well as making it a true extension to the home.

It’s small touches like these that really make the difference between a standard conservatory and a conservatory that becomes a much loved and integral part of in your home.

Bespoke Conservatory Designs

A Conservatory for Intertaining

There has been a massive rise in the popularity of activities such as the Wii computer console and dining clubs making ‘staying in’ the new ‘going out’ for entertaining.

Dubbed as ‘intertainment’, this summer is likely to see more house parties and barbecues than any time over the past decade.

The perfect place to ‘intertain’ is in a conservatory. A conservatory can be designed for whatever use you wish: whether it’s an extension of the living space to take on your family at bowling on the Wii; or a relaxing dining room to enjoy lunch with friends, along with the view of your garden.

Intertaining in your Conservatory