Planning permission for conservatories

Hi,
I am thinking about buying a 4 bed semi. The asking price is probably slightly over it actual worth. However it does have a large garden to the rear and side. The side is not visable from the road as it is a corner site, and the house is at an angle. I know that it is relatively easy to get planning for a conservatory at the rear (may not even need planning). What is the requirement for adding a conservatory to the side of a house. Are they strict in housing estate situations on having houses maintain their similar looks? Who could I ask about this? I would be willing to pay the slightly inflated price if I thought I would have little difficaulty in getting planning for a conservatory.
Regards
Albob

The following may help:

Extract from

Generally, you will not need planning permission for:
Building an extension to the rear of the house which does not increase the original floor area of the house by more than 40 square metres and is not higher than the house. The extension should not reduce the open space at the back of the house to less than 25 square metres which must be reserved exclusively for the use of the occupants of your house. If your house has been extended before, the floor area of the extension you are now proposing and the floor area of any previous extension (including those for which you previously got planning permission) must not exceed 40 square metres. (There are also other height restrictions.)

As far as I'm aware, if you are building or changing the appearance of the property and it is visible from the front of the house then planning permission must be sought, as Bacchus poined out with the Oasis quote planning permission for conservatories at the rear is not normally required under certain circumstances.

If anyone else in the esate has done the same then normally it means precedent has been set for it but I'd check with the planning authority, I know in our estate someone has built a conservatory to the side so now a good few neighbours are thinking of doing the same!!