Gardeners have been urged to check before erecting an outbuilding for the summer, whether it’s a shed for tools or a summer house for lounging in.
Before commencing any work, it is crucial to understand what is permitted and what can be undertaken without requiring planning permission. Planning Portal, a joint venture between TerraQuest Solutions Limited and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has drawn up a list of everything that falls under the banner of structures “for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse”.
These include: sheds, playhouses, greenhouses and garages, as well as other garden buildings including swimming pools, ponds, sauna cabins, kennels, enclosures — including tennis courts — and numerous other types of .
Such leisure-oriented structures are typically regarded as “permitted development” and do not require planning permission. There are certain limitations to this, though, and it is always advisable to verify with your local council if you are uncertain.
Permitted development is likely to encompass the vast majority of installations that homeowners might wish to place in their garden. However, there are exceptions, reports Liverpool Echo. Firstly, no outbuilding may be constructed on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation of a property — that is, the front of your home. Outbuildings and garages must be single-storey, with a maximum eaves height of 2.5m and a maximum overall height of 4m with a dual-pitched roof, or 3m for any other roof type.
Such structures may have a maximum height of 2.5m where a building, enclosure or container sits within 2m of a boundary of the curtilage of the main dwelling. Verandas, balconies or raised platforms are not permitted — a platform must not exceed 0.3 metres in height.
No more than half the area of land surrounding the “original house” may be covered by extensions or additional 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 situated more than 20m from the house is restricted to 10sqm.
On designated land, buildings, enclosures, containers and pools positioned at the side of properties will require planning permission. Any outbuilding within the curtilage of a listed building will also require planning permission.
According to the Planning Portal, the term “original house” refers to the house as it was originally built, or as it stood on July 1, 1948, if constructed before that date. Bear in mind that while you may not have added an extension, a previous owner may well have done so. Designated land encompasses national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites. The experts noted that the permitted development allowances outlined apply solely to houses, and not to flats and maisonettes, converted houses or houses created through the ‘permitted development’ rights for ‘changes of use’ or ‘new dwellinghouses’, other buildings and areas where there may be a planning condition, Article 4 Direction or other restriction that limits permitted development rights. Each of these categories has its own distinct guidance.
Those wishing to commence work are also encouraged to consult a technical document available on gov.uk.