Planning Permission

Planning Permission

The information on this website should be taken as a guide ONLY. It is the customers responsibility to decide if planning regulations apply to their situation, and to apply for any planning permission/building regulations necessary before purchasing a garden building. If in doubt as to whether you require Planning Permission (http://www.planningportal.co.uk) or Building Control Approval (http://www.labc.co.uk/our-services/find-your-local-council) you should contact your local council for advice.

Most garden buildings, including log cabins, are classified as Permitted Development and usually should not require Planning Permission providing you keep to the rules outlined in the Planning Permission section below.

Local planning permissions can vary and if you are unsure you should always check with your local planning office before purchasing. If you are in a conservation area you will nearly always need permission.

Planning permission - log cabins or outbuildings in general Rules governing outbuildings apply to sheds, greenhouses and garages as well as other ancillary garden buildings such as swimming pools, ponds, sauna cabins, kennels, enclosures (including tennis courts) and many other kinds of structure for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwelling house.

Other rules relate to the installation of a satellite dish, the erection of a new dwelling or the erection or provision of fuel storage tanks

Outbuildings are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:

1 - No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.

2 - 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.

3 - 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.

4 - No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.

5 - No more than half the area of land around the "original house" * would be covered by additions or other buildings.

6 - 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.

7 - On designated land* buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.

8 - 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. Building regulations - log cabins or outbuildings in general 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 and contains NO sleeping accommodation. 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 contains NO sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed of substantially non-combustible materials. Building regulations will not apply ONLY if the building is not being used for sleeping accommodation.

For more information on planning - please see the following links

Search to find your local planning authority:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/wps/portal/genpub_LocalInformation?docRef=LocalInformation&scope=202&langid=0

The planning portal's mini guide:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/miniguide 

The Planning Portal Summary:

Outbuildings are considered to be permitted development, not requiring an application for planning permission, provided all the conditions are met.

1. On designated land *outbuildings to the side of the house are not permitted development. * Designated land includes national parks and the Boards, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.

2. Outbuildings are not permitted development within the grounds of a listed building.

3. In national parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the total area to be covered by any outbuildings more than 20 metres from ANY WALL of the house must not exceed 10 square metres to be permitted development.

4. Outbuildings are not permitted development forward of the principle elevation of the original house. 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).

5. Outbuildings and other additions must not exceed 50% of the total area of land around the original house. Sheds and all other outbuildings (see intro) and extensions to the original house must be included when calculating this 50% limit.

6. To be permitted development, any new building must not itself be separate, self contained, living accommodation and must have a microwave antenna.

7. Outbuildings must be single storey with a maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of 4 metres with a dual pitched roof, or 3 metres in any other case.

8. If the outbuilding is within 2 metres of the property boundary and the whole building should not exceed 2.5 metres in height.

9. Balconies and verandas are not permitted development. Raised platforms such as decking are permitted development provided they are not higher than 300mm.

10. Containers, such as those used for domestic heating purposes, must not exceed 3,500 litres capacity to be permitted development conditions which apply to outbuildings listed above also apply to containers.