Planning Permission
What you need to know
In the majority of cases, you are allowed to have a garden building or structure built in your properties outside space without seeking planning permission.
However, once you have decided to install a structure at your location, it is important to make sure you comply with all the necessary permitted planning rules below.
The below information is intended to be a guide for homeowners, it is not a definitive legal definition.
For peace of mind and avoidance of doubt, we recommend that customers contact their local council planning department for specific advice up to date advice.
Our standard garden rooms have been specifically designed as below to meet the requirements of current planning permission, permitted development rules and building regulation requirements.
Garden rooms fall under the category of Outbuildings, which are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:
- No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.
- Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.
- Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwelling house.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
- No more than half the area of land around the “original house”* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
- In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres.
- On designated land buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.
- Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.
- The term “original house” means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.
- Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
Please Note: The permitted development allowances described here apply to houses not flats, maisonettes or other buildings.
Keepers Garden Rooms , offices, studios, lodges and buildings have been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the permitted development regulations.
Important
As you can see from the above, garden buildings up to an internal floor area of 30 square metres are generally exempt from building regulations (Except when the structure is to be used for sleeping accommodation)
This leads many garden room companies to claim their products “comply with current building regulations” when in reality what they mean is “our buildings do not have to comply with building regulations”.
Obviously, it is much easier and cheaper for a company to build a garden building that does not comply with the current building regulations.
Garden rooms, offices, studios, lodges and buildings that are not built to building regulations will tend to have thin walls, floors, ceiling, minimal insulation (if any!), no air flow cavities, no vapour barriers or breathing membranes.
Purchasing a garden building which does not comply with the latest building regulations will cost you much more in the long term.
They will be more expensive to heat; minimal insulation and no air flow will result in moisture entering the structure – often reducing the life of the actual structure and damaging internal contents.
The room will sweat in the summer months and be uninhabitable during the winter.
It is fairly common for people to spend the same amount purchasing a garden building which is not built to building regulations than to purchase one that is.
N.B., we recommend that all of our garden rooms follow our fully insulated and protected construction to ensure maximum efficiency and minimal carbon footprint to heat, this design is suitable for 365 day year round use.
Government’s Planning Portal Website
For further information about the rules and regulations governing planning permission and building regulations, please visit the government’s planning portal website. Planning permission: When you need it – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
For additional peace of mind, we recommend that customers contact their local council planning department for specific advice.
Keepers Garden Rooms Ltd do not advise on planning matters. Should any client have any further concerns we have a network of professional architects that can give relevant advice.