When Will You Need Planning Permission for a Garage?

Planning Permission for Garages

Just imagine starting work on your perfect home improvement project. You already have a use in mind and you are looking forward to making the most of it, when suddenly it is discovered that you don’t have the necessary planning permission. You may be able to submit a retrospective application to avoid an enforcement notice (and maybe prosecution if you don’t comply), but why take the risk in the first place? At The Garage Specialist, we believe that our customers should know if they will need planning permission for a garage before they begin work. 

As experts in oak and timber construction with a speciality in garages, we are able to produce a variety of kits for stylish wooden garages that are bound to suit any property, and that will only require a minimal amount of maintenance to keep them durable for years to come. Our years of experience in what we do mean that we are always available to answer questions, including on whether or not you will need planning permission for your garage.

If you have been searching for a new place to put your car or a new storage solution for your home, but would like to know all the legal requirements and planning permission you will need to build it, get in touch with us today. We’ll be happy to assist you in setting out all the specifications for your planned work, before helping you to place an order for one of our kits.

Things to Consider When Building a Garage

When you’re thinking of building a freestanding or even an attached garage for  your property and wondering if you will need planning permission, there are a few important factors that you should first take into consideration:

• The size of the garage you are planning on building
• The height of the garage once it is complete
• Your garage’s distance from property boundaries
• If your property is located within a World Heritage Site, a National Park or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (all of these are also called designated land)

These are the factors that you should be most aware of when starting to plan any work around building a garage onto your house. There are separate allowances, however, for flats, maisonettes, converted houses, other buildings and areas where there may be a planning condition, Article 4 Direction or other restriction which prevents permitted development. If you need to know more about any of these, please speak to your local authority.

If you already have the necessary measurements for your perfect oak or timber garage and you know that it will not need planning permission, get in touch with us today. Our team will start work as soon as possible to bring you the garage kit you need, in the dimensions which suit your requirements entirely.

Do You Need Planning Permission for a Garage?

If you are looking to build a garage in the front of your property, the finished result will be considered a type of outbuilding in the eyes of your local planning authority. Because of this, garages are usually considered permitted development. 

This means that, in most cases, building one of our detached oak or timber garages will not require planning permission. However, there are a number of rules and conditions attached to this statement, which we have listed for you below:

• The garage cannot be used as a living space; it should only be used for storage, and not contain beds or similar furniture that could be used by an inhabitant
• The floor of the garage should be less than 15 square metres when freestanding or detached
• The floor of the garage should be less than 30 square metres if attached to your property
• When a garage is attached to your property, it should be constructed entirely out of non-flammable materials and placed at least 1 metre away from any boundaries, such as fences or walls

There are also a number of regulations on planning permission which apply to outbuildings in general, which may also apply to any wooden garage you are planning on building:

• Outbuildings and garages should be single-storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and a maximum overall height of 4 metres with a dual pitched roof, or 3 metres for any other roof
• There should be a maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within 2 metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the original property
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms (here defined as being 0.3 metres in height or more)
• No more than half the area of land around the original property should be covered by additions or other buildings
• If your property is located on designated land, the maximum total area of ground covered by buildings more than 20 metres from any wall should not exceed 10 square metres in area
• If your property is located on designated land, new buildings should not be built between the principal or side elevation of the house and its boundary
• Within the curtilage of listed buildings, any outbuilding will require planning permission

To find out more about these, and to learn if there are any further stipulations which apply specifically to your home, please speak to your local planning authority today. They will be able to provide the full, expert advice you need for your area.

Will You Need Planning Permission for a Garage Conversion?

You will not normally need planning permission for a garage conversion, as long as the work you’re undertaking is internal and doesn’t involve enlarging the original building. As such, there is a chance you will need permission from your local authority if you are planning to attach one of our oak or timber garages to the rest of your home, because they will count as extensions in that case. 

Fortunately, most extensions will not need planning permission, but you will need to be sure that your own planned project keeps to the guidelines and specific measurements we have already set out if you want to ensure this applies to you.

If you set out with the intention of turning any new garage space into a separate house, then it’s likely that you will need planning permission no matter what work is involved. We highly recommend that you discuss any proposals like this with your local planning authority before beginning work, to ensure that your project is meeting all the correct guidelines and is being lawfully carried out.

It must also be noted that some permitted development rights don’t apply to certain properties, particularly in regard to garage conversions. This mostly applies to the following structures:

• New housing developments
• Conservation areas

If you live in a property which falls under either of these descriptions, you will need to get in touch with your local planning authority to check how this might affect you before you begin planning a new garage.

Planning a Garage for a Listed Building

If you live in a house which is a listed building, you will most likely require something known as Listed Building Consent in order to build a garage of any variety. This consent is generally required for any work carried out that will affect a listed building’s character as a building of special architectural or historical interest. Such work includes extensions, alterations and demolitions, with the permission itself also being given by your local planning authority. They will be able to advise you further on the subject, including on how to apply if required.

For More Information on Planning Permission for Wooden Garages

If you are in any doubt whatsoever about whether or not you’ll need planning permission for an oak garage, a timber garage or a garage made of any other material, you should always consult your local planning authority before work begins. 

If you already know what you need for your home and you know it doesn’t need planning permission, or only had doubts over planning permission stopping you from installing the garage you want, contact our team today. We will supply you with a timber or oak framed garage kit that you can readily build at your own convenience, and at a price which suits your budget.

We offer fast turnaround times and all kits are delivered ready for completion as soon as the work is signed off, so you could soon be using the garage you need for any number of things, from keeping your car to offering storage space that you couldn’t otherwise find indoors.