Big Garden sheds and planning issues

[Matt@]

Afternoon everyone, I was here in a past life and have now popped up again to pick some brains.

What is the current thinking regarding sheds in gardens on estates. By definition, housing estates however posh are tight for space and consequently the plots are quite small with tight boundrays.

According to various bits and pieces I 've read - wooden structures (sheds) shouldn't be placed within x metres of a boundray wall nor within a certain distance from a public road.

I'm guessing alot of people on here have quite big sheds that go against the above criteria - have any of you had any problems with neighbours/ planning etc or is this boundray thing something thats there but is conveniently ignored?

 

[Chainsaw Nut]

You will find that you will have two areas to consider if it is a housing estate. You may well find that the developers have introduced a restrictive covenant, if so beware as your neighbours and the rest of the estate will also have the same and some people love to be petty!

Area two will be the interpretation your local authority puts on the planning rules, the best way to find out what they are happy with is to check their website and if it is unclear give them a ring, most planners love to be consulted rather than having someone tell them what their interpretation of the rules is

 

[head clansman]

Hi Matt

where abouts are you in the UK , i live in Weymouth Dorset slap in the middle of a housing estate built in about 1934 i was a bit apprehensive when i decided to build my workshop more so about petty neighbours didn't want to build it and then fall foul of the local council so decided to send a rough picture and description of what i wanted to do i was most surprised when they wrote back saying i could go right up to boundaries build a shed of any size in my garden as long as the ridge wasnt higher than 4 m and it has to be 15 m away from any house for fire regulation i built mine 8mL * 4.5m W *3.5 H & have had no problem with the council . I kept away from boundaries by 2m all round . although when it was being built i could see one neighbour two doors up crawling along behind his hedge to get a better look at what was going on .

its better to find out what you council will permit before you lay out on expensive materials before you start that way you be able to plane the biggest shed you can afford without the neighbour being able to do anything about it. good luck

PS yea should have said mine built entirely from timber

 

[andyw]

Hi Matt,

check if you have permitted development rights (the local planning office will be able to tell you this). For newer houses these are sometimes removed as part of the planning conditions.

If you have PD, then check out
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/englan ... 33173.html

Basically, as long as its 20m from the highway (or behind the house), less than 4m high and less than half the garden, all should be OK. Not sure on boundary distances. It may be worth working out what you want and then apply for a certificate of lawful development (they will need to justify refusing this in a legal framwork, so better than a planning application).

If you don't have PD or restrictions, its talk to the planners to see what will be acceptable.

What have others done on your street?

 

[Matt@]

many thanks for the replies on this. I think I'm stuffed as the shed would be well within 20 metres of a public highway and tight up to the boundray wall.. I know many people wouldn't bother with this, but I was going to put up a rather big shed so didn't want to go to the expense without feeling there was a good chance that I could get away with it - hence asking for other peoples experiences

 

[Adam]

Why is the 20m a problem? Is it because you are on a corner plot? Or are you planning to build it in front of your house? If its behind, it should be fine regardless of the distance.

Someone here successfully built a large shed against a boundary wall against a main road I remember, the boundary thing may impose an extra constraint, e.g. fire-retardant materials or similar - but thats not going to add anything of concern to the overall build cost.

Adam

 

[Matt@]

Hang on, I getting a bit confused here! What it is, is that if the building is closer to the public highway than 20m, you have to apply for planning permission. Once you've done that, if its a wooden structure, apparently, you cannot have it right up against a boundray wall.

 

[Adam]

Hang on, I getting a bit confused here! What it is, is that if the building is closer to the public highway than 20m, you have to apply for planning permission. Once you've done that, if its a wooden structure, apparently, you cannot have it right up against a boundray wall.

Not all the rules apply simultaneously. Can you provide either a plan, or a description of your garden layout/house/boundaries/nearby roads - that might be easier. I can host a picture if you can draw something and email it me, or if you know how to add images pop something up for us to see!

Adam

 

[Adam]

What it is, is that if the building is closer to the public highway than 20m, you have to apply for planning permission. .

Not necessarily, only if it's really big. (I mean really really big). If its "small" (and thats still vastly large enough to be a workshop) then you should be fine. What are the internal (ignore any overhangs etc) dimensions you are hoping to achieve?

Adam

 

[Matt@]

anticipated size would be about 20 - 25ft x 8. It would sit neatly against the boundray wall and only two properties would even be able to see the thing! Don;t ask me to pop something up on here!! I'm completely useless with the PC (relatively speaking) !!!

 

[Adam]

anticipated size would be about 20 - 25ft x 8. It would sit neatly against the boundray wall and only two properties would even be able to see the thing! Don;t ask me to pop something up on here!! I'm completely useless with the PC (relatively speaking) !!!

think 15m sq internall is where it start to get borderline - try talking to your local authority. The 15m sq is a building control rule - they start to worry about flammability and roof loadings above a certain size, wheras planning worry about buildings over 4m high and above a certain percentage of your garden. It may be what you suggest is fine, but they make you use a certain building material on the walls facing the boundary. Or they see it makes no difference. You could limit your self to 15sq meter (measured internally) and pop it right against the fence, then "extend" it later!

Building Regulations

If you want to put up small detached buildings such as a garden shed or summerhouse in your garden, building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15 square metres.

If the floor area of the building is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed of substantially non-combustible materials.

In both cases, building regulations do not apply ONLY if the building does not contain any sleeping accommodation.

 

[Matt@]

thats interesting, I read about the 15 metres but where I saw it, it was stated as 15 cubic metres. Thanks for the info. Adam, I'll chase this up again with the council. I've spoken with them once to find out if we're in a permitted development area but she couldn't tell me. I was loathe to go further as I didn't want them to be too nosey. That said, obviously its far better to have the council on your side from the word go.

 

[exigetastic]

Or they see it makes no difference. You could limit your self to 15sq meter (measured internally) and pop it right against the fence, then "extend" it later!

I have a similar moral dilemma

I currently have a 80m2 wooden outbuilding.... If I "repair" it, then I can bypass the council. If I rebuild it building control need to be notified.

Though TBH If i have to get the council involved, I'm thinking of going the whole hog, and getting a brick/block building put in it's place, so planning and bc

Si

 

[les chicken]

Matt

Have a look at this site for general information.

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/ppermission.htm

Les

 

[Matt@]

Exig, thats a big building (around 800sq ft) !! presumably you've got quite a big plot/ in the countryside etc??

 

[Digit]

Though it shouldn't be so I have found that it depends on who you ask. When I built our garage I phoned the planning office and they laid down a number of restrictions. The following week a different person at the planning office effective said ' built what you want as long as it isn't in front of the building line.'
I asked for name and confirmation in writing and got started.
I went through the same rigmarole with the LPG tank, it's now where I wanted it, 6 months after being told 'you can't put it there!'
Hey ho!

Roy.

 

[exigetastic]

Exig, thats a big building (around 800sq ft) !! presumably you've got quite a big plot/ in the countryside etc??

Yep, originally the house / plot used to be a chicken farm. The outbuilding is an old chicken shed, complete with upturned bucket chimney thhings

I do feel sorry for the chickens though as it's damp and horrid in there :lol:

The outbuilding itself is drawn up on the O/S map, so fingers crossed not too much grief rebuilding it!


Si

 

[Matt@]

thanks for link Les, we're back to the meterage being cubic now :roll:

 

[les chicken]

Matt

I think you will find the general rules for a temporary structure (wooden building) are.

It needs to be 5 metres away from the house, so as not to be included in the house size or extension.

It must not be over 50% of the garden.

I think 30 square metres footprint is the ball park. (but depends on garden size)

The height of the apex roof must be under 4 metres.

Les

 

[andyw]

matt,

I agree with les.

The 10 cu.m rule only applies if you're in a listed building, conservation area etc. or within 5m of the house.

Going over 30sqm footprint means building reqs (not planning permission).

The 20m from the highway does not apply if in the rear garden.

Key point is all this can be done under permitted development only if these rights have not been removed (which they have for my newbuild).

So best to find that out first.

Could you give us the rough dimensions of your garden and how far from the house the workshop would be.