Composite Garden Rooms - Planning Permission
An Outdoor Garden Room Without Seeking Planning Permission!
In the vast majority of cases you are allowed to have a composite garden room or building built in your property's outside space without seeking planning permission.
Garden rooms and building structures typically do not require homeowners to go through the time-consuming and potentially restrictive process of seeking planning permission.
Instead, they fall under the category of "permitted development," provided they adhere to specific limits and conditions set by the UK Government.
All our composite garden buildings have been specifically designed and installed on-site to comply with the current permitted development rules and building regulation requirements.
Outbuildings are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions detailed below:
Permitted Development Planning Rules
Outbuildings are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions detailed below:
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.
Planning Regime For England
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. This is an introductory guide and is not a definitive source of legal information.
This guidance relates to the planning regime and building regulations for England. Policy in Wales, Northern Ireland & Scotland may differ. If in doubt contact your Local Planning Authority.
Garden Room Building Regulations
Garden Buildings, up to 30 square metres, are exempt from building regulations. The rules are as follows:
Less than 15 square metres: Building regulations will not apply, providing that the garden office is at least 0.5m from any boundary. For garden buildings that are smaller than 15 square metres, building regulations do not apply, provided that the structure is at least 0.5 metres (50 centimeters) away from any boundary. This requirement ensures that there is a safe distance between the garden building and neighboring properties or structures. The 0.5-metre boundary clearance helps prevent issues such as encroachment on neighboring land, potential disputes, and fire safety concerns. It also allows for adequate ventilation and natural light around the garden building.
Between 15 and 30 square metres: Building regulations will not apply, providing that the garden office is at least 1 metre from any boundary.
When constructing a garden building within the range of 15 to 30 square metres, building regulations will still not apply, but there is a slightly different boundary clearance requirement. In this case, the garden room must be positioned at least 1 metre (100 centimeters) away from any boundary. The increased boundary clearance of 1 meter is intended to accommodate larger garden buildings while still ensuring safety, privacy, and compliance with local property regulations.
If you would like to talk to a member of our friendly staff about our composite garden rooms, we would be very happy to hear from you. You can even call us free on FREEPHONE: 0800 170 1273 (It's free to call us from either a mobile phone or a landline).