Lockdown Workshop Build

[MARK.B.]

Not clear from the video, but is the Workshop anchored down in any way to the base ? or are you relying on gravity to keep it in place , a good strong gust of wind is more than capable of shifting your pride and joy right of the blocks it sits on .

 

[Sheptonphil]

Hi Mike

Another new poster here doing research for a similar build. I'm getting a bit confused by the 15m2 thing and building regs.

So if your internal footprint is 15m2 or less then you can build out of wood as close to a boundary as you like?

if its more than 15m2 it has to be over 1 meter from any boundary and if its not it has to be made from non combustible material?

Have I got that right?

Thanks
Ryan

Hi Placks

Mike no longer posts on their forum.

you are correct, under 15sqm (internal area) can be up to your boundary. this of course assumes there are no special restrictions in your local area. Next criteria is as you state, 15-30sqm predominantly non combustible materials (different local authorities interpret this in differing ways) or more than 1m from fence. Other dimensional restrictions apply.

 

[placks]

Hi Placks

Mike no longer posts on their forum.

you are correct, under 15sqm (internal area) can be up to your boundary. this of course assumes there are no special restrictions in your local area. Next criteria is as you state, 15-30sqm predominantly non combustible materials (different local authorities interpret this in differing ways) or more than 1m from fence. Other dimensional restrictions apply.

Thank you!

 

[DBT85]

Thank you!

You also have to consider the height. If you want to go over 2.5m in height you have to be more than 2m from the boundary. I've got 2.5m from my floor to the underside of my rafter ties only because I had the space to build it 2m from the boundary. I could have got PP of course. Now my sheet materials stand on end and it's very handy.

Not clear from the video, but is the Workshop anchored down in any way to the base ? or are you relying on gravity to keep it in place , a good strong gust of wind is more than capable of shifting your pride and joy right of the blocks it sits on .

I beleive Mike did once say that he forgot to do it on one of his workshops and 20 years later when taking it down it hadn't moved at all, though I still did it on mine anyway.

 

[MARK.B.]

Belt and braces stuff round here, the wind in from the North Sea , not unusual to see the remnant's of broken sheds and other stuff being loaded into skips after a good storm. On the plus side if you get up early enough a tasty Lobster or two can often be found among the Kelp .

 

[placks]

You also have to consider the height. If you want to go over 2.5m in height you have to be more than 2m from the boundary. I've got 2.5m from my floor to the underside of my rafter ties only because I had the space to build it 2m from the boundary. I could have got PP of course. Now my sheet materials stand on end and it's very handy.

Thanks, I was aware of the height restriction (that was one of the few things I was actually able to understand about the regs) so have now opted for a pent style. Might be the odd occasion being a short a** actually comes in handy though . Now i can get onto planning how to do the floor..

 

[DBT85]

Thanks, I was aware of the height restriction (that was one of the few things I was actually able to understand about the regs) so have now opted for a pent style. Might be the odd occasion being a short a** actually comes in handy though . Now i can get onto planning how to do the floor..

Make a thread!

Getting planning isn't that hard nor that expensive. I didn't mostly because it was a little unexpected and I didn't really need to. Had covid not hit I'd have been at work so wouldn't have been able to dedicate the time to build it, and since I had the time, you couldn't get planning for anything as everyone was hiding at home. Also my garden is big enough that a 7x5m chunk removed with a 2m area free on 2 sides isn't actually a problem. Of that I Am very fortunate!

 

[MARK.B.]

If planning should have been obtained and for whatever reason not been applied for / granted , could a Insurance company use it as as grounds for not paying out on a claim My experience of making a major claim was akin to an interrogationThey tried every trick in the book to not pay out and I was wondering if this could be one of them

 

[DBT85]

No idea but since its an insurance company probably. My one time dealing with a claim was when my ex and I were broken into and I had 4k of camera gear nicked, Aviva just old me to go to the WEX photographic site, put everything I lost in a basket and send them a screen grab!

Personally I wouldn't dare spend that much time and effort unless I'd got permission, either via permitted development or planning permission and I live in such a rural area I could more than likely get away with it.

 

[MARK.B.]

Being rural does have it's benefits at times must admit when i removed the old garage ( one of those old Asbestos clad and roofed type ) i did extend its replacement as my workshop just a tad

 

[DBT85]

Being rural does have it's benefits at times must admit when i removed the old garage ( one of those old Asbestos clad and roofed type ) i did extend its replacement as my workshop just a tad

In the field opposte me there had sat little more than a shed for decades. Once the land was sold off, a huge great thing (the type you lose diggers in) was erected. Though I think for farm buildings rules are different

 

[mikej460]

A few years back we moved our knackered old drive from the front to the side of the house over a bit of overgrown paddock. I thought I wouldn't need permission but we live in a rural part of the world with busy body neighbours who started to ask pointed questions. So I decided to ring Planning and the guy there said I was on his list to contact as someone had informed him of what I was doing. He not only insisted I put in a retrospective planning application but told me it had to go to the planning committee. I had to stop work for 2 months yet the planning meeting waved it through, telling me they were surprised it had been put before them. It now gets a lot of positive comments, even from the old duffer that dobbed me in.

 

[MARK.B.]

It was done with the best intentions Mike

 

[Sheptonphil]

My next built to start at the beginning of April is a 4mx5m open fronted summerhouse with pyramid roof. We do not have any permitted development rights here, so I have applied for planning permission. I MAY have ’got away with it’, but the cost and effort involved in building it, is not worth it, same as when I built the workshop. then, a neighbour had planning enforcement call round to ensure I’d built to the correct dimensions as the finished height was 4.5m rather than the original 3.5m approved.

What he had not checked, was I had put in a material change after permission was granted, to enable a different roof structure to original plan.

planning is not onerous, if you permitted development means compromising your build, put in for planning, the cost is £206 plus a £25 admin fee.

 

[placks]

Make a thread!

Getting planning isn't that hard nor that expensive. I didn't mostly because it was a little unexpected and I didn't really need to. Had covid not hit I'd have been at work so wouldn't have been able to dedicate the time to build it, and since I had the time, you couldn't get planning for anything as everyone was hiding at home. Also my garden is big enough that a 7x5m chunk removed with a 2m area free on 2 sides isn't actually a problem. Of that I Am very fortunate!

I will probably make a thread as I'm gonna need plenty of tips I imagine. I don't really have the space to have anything bigger than what I can build under permitted development anyway am happy to sacrifice pitch for pent. Just been browsing through the thread for your build, very impressed, great job and what a space to have!

 

[Shaun92]

Not clear from the video, but is the Workshop anchored down in any way to the base ? or are you relying on gravity to keep it in place , a good strong gust of wind is more than capable of shifting your pride and joy right of the blocks it sits on .

Hi Mark,

I’ve put L shaped straps from the base plate into the blockwork to stop my shed from blowing away cheers mate haha

 

[Shaun92]

Update on the workshop, video of the cladding getting finished!