Garden Rooms and Planning Permission

One of the questions that we get asked about most often is usually along the lines of “do I need planning permission for my new garden room?” We touch upon this in other parts of our website but thought it would be pertinent to collate some information all in one place.

Please note:

This is a general guide. We would always recommend double-checking your own specific circumstances with regards to whether an insulated garden building at your property would require planning permission. There can be slight variances in interpretation between councils, special covenants that may alter the situation, or your area of the UK may have slightly different guidelines.

Of course, Bridges Modular would be happy to assist you as much as we possibly can regarding planning requirements for your garden room.

Permitted Development Rights

In the UK, planning rules govern all outbuildings and this includes insulated garden rooms and garden offices. In most cases it will likely transpire that you are allowed to build a garden room on your property without seeking planning permission.

The main reason for this is because garden rooms are usually designed in such a way that they fall under Permitted Development Rights, which allow the improvement and extension of homes without the need to make a planning application.

To be treated in this way the improvements that you make to your home need to meet certain criteria. In the case of a garden room it’s the size, location, and intended use of your garden building that will usually determine if it can be built under permitted development rules.

If you intend to use your garden room purely for leisure and it is built to the correct dimensions, then this almost certainly will not require any planning permission.

However, this only applies to you only if you have permitted development rights at your property in the first place. If you live in a flat or apartment building, for example, then permitted developments won’t apply to you.

Additionally, if you live in a protected area such as a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or a Conservation Area, there will be additional rules to consider when building a garden room. However, in all these cases, by complying with these extra regulations, you can still construct a garden room under Permitted Development rules.

If you're unsure about the situation for your home our advice would be to contact your local planning office for further information, or feel free to contact use here at Bridges Modular where we will be able to assist.

Height and Location

Regarding size requirements for a garden room to fall under permitted development rules, the main considerations are the building’s height and its location on your property:

Single-Storey: Garden rooms must be single-storey.
Eaves Height: The maximum eaves height is 2.5 metres.
Overall Height: The maximum overall height is 4 metres for a dual-pitched roof or 3 metres for any other roof type, unless within 2 metres of a boundary, where the maximum height is 2.5 metres.
Boundary Proximity: If the garden room is within 2 metres of a property boundary, the maximum height is 2.5 metres.
Location: You cannot build a garden room in front of the principal elevation (what's generally considered the front) of your house, or to the side of your house without applying for planning permission.
No Verandas/Balconies: Verandas, balconies, or raised platforms are not permitted without planning permission.

Size and Area

Land Coverage: The total area of all outbuildings (including any sheds and the garden room) must not cover more than 50% of the land around the original house (as it stood on July 1st, 1948).
Designated Areas: In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and World Heritage Sites, the maximum area covered by buildings, enclosures, containers, and pools more than 20 metres from the house is limited to 10 square metres.

What is your garden room going to be used for?

Another popular discussion topic when it comes to garden rooms is what they are going to be used for. We’ve talked about it a couple of times over on our News/Blog page, such as this article regarding some ideas for garden rooms.

As previously mentioned, the intended use of your new garden room also affects whether it falls under the permitted development rights scheme. Broadly speaking, if your garden room is intended as a recreational and leisure space then typically that would not require any type of planning permission. Likewise, if you were going to use it predominantly as a home office then this too does not require planning permission.

Not for Living Accommodation

Garden rooms cannot be used as self-contained living accommodation or overnight accommodation if you want to build it under Permitted Development Rights.

Commercial Use

Using your garden room as a home office typically does not require planning permission. However, if you intend to use the building for business purposes where customers or clients may visit, planning permission may be required. This varies between local authorities and, of course, the nature of the business that you intend to conduct in the garden building.

If Planning Permission is Required

The good news is that if your proposed garden room doesn’t quite fall under permitted development rights and your local authority does require planning permission, this usually doesn’t pose much of a stumbling block and is, in most cases, very straightforward to receive. Planning permission doesn’t necessarily need to be a painful process, and Bridges Modular Construction will provide as much assistance as we can throughout this journey, including putting you in contact with our network if planning experts if specialist advice is required.

It could be that your dream garden room very clearly exceeds the requirements that normally allow them to be built under the Permitted Development Rights arrangement, so from the outset planning will be required. Perhaps you are looking to provide somewhere for someone to stay overnight, or the dimensions of a Permitted Development garden room don’t quite work because you need extra height for a golf simulator. These types of garden rooms are built regularly, so don’t hesitate to contact Bridges Modular Construction to discuss any of these matters further. We would be delighted to work on your garden room project with you. There is almost always a path to getting your garden room built and we would be happy to assist you on that journey.

As previously stated, the information here is a guide only, and we urge you to double-check that your proposed garden room isn’t affected differently due to your individual circumstances, local bylaws, or changes in legislation since this information was compiled, which may mean that some or all of this does not apply in your case. It is always the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that all planning requirements are fulfilled.