Garden rooms are an increasingly popular addition to homes across the UK, offering versatile spaces for work, relaxation, and hobbies. But before you start building your dream garden room, it’s important to understand the planning permission requirements. The good news is that most garden rooms don’t require planning permission. They are generally classified as outbuildings, which means you can build one without formal approval, as long as you comply with certain rules. This falls under what’s known as ‘permitted development rights’.
However, not everyone has these rights. Here are some key exceptions:
• Listed Buildings: If your home is a listed building, you’ll need planning permission for any outbuilding.
• Designated Areas: Homes in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), conservation areas, or World Heritage Sites often require planning permission.
• Flats and Maisonettes: These types of properties do not have permitted development rights.
If you’re unsure whether you have permitted development rights, feel free to contact us for advice or alternatively check with your local planning office.
Garden Room Planning Rules
To ensure your garden room qualifies under permitted development, it must meet the following criteria:
• Location: Your garden room cannot be in front of your home. If your home has been extended, the ‘front’ is defined by its position as of 1 July 1948.
• Coverage: The combined area of all extensions, sheds, and outbuildings (including your garden room) must not exceed 50% of the total land around your house as it was on 1 July 1948.
• Height: The garden room must be single-storey and less than 3 metres high (4 metres with a dual-pitched roof). If it’s within 2 metres of your boundary, the maximum height is 2.5 metres.
• Eaves: The eaves must be no more than 2.5 metres above ground level.
• Features: It cannot have a balcony, veranda, or raised platform, nor can it be used as self-contained living accommodation.
For those living in National Parks, the Broads, World Heritage Sites, or AONBs, there are additional restrictions. Any outbuilding more than 20 metres from your house cannot exceed 10 square metres. Moreover, in these areas, if any part of your garden room would be between the side of your house and the boundary of your property, you’ll need planning permission.
Planning Permission for Garden Offices
Garden offices also fall under permitted development, provided their use is incidental to the main dwelling. This means activities like working on a computer are usually acceptable, while regular meetings with clients might not be. The latter could affect the neighbourhood, prompting the council to ask for a retrospective planning permission application. If denied, you might have to remove the building.
If in doubt, consult your local planning office to confirm whether your intended use qualifies as ‘incidental’.
Garden Rooms and Building Regulations
Building regulations focus on the construction and insulation of structures. Outbuildings typically do not need to comply with building regulations if they meet these conditions:
• Attachment: The garden room is not attached to your main home.
• Size: The floor area is less than 15 square metres.
• Usage: It does not include sleeping accommodation.
For garden rooms between 15 and 30 square metres, building regulations approval is still generally unnecessary if there’s no sleeping accommodation, it’s over 1 metre from your boundary, and it’s constructed from non-combustible materials.
However, if you ever plan to use the garden room for sleeping or as a guest bedroom, it will need to comply with building regulations.
Electrical Work in Garden Rooms
All electrical installations in your garden room must comply with Part P of the building regulations.
If you plan to have a separate consumer unit in the garden room, ensure a qualified electrician connects it to your mains supply. They will test the system and issue a certificate confirming it meets the required standards.
Bottom Line:
While most garden rooms don’t require planning permission, it’s essential to check your specific circumstances and ensure compliance with all relevant rules and regulations. We can take care of all these issues on your behalf, including consulting with your local planning office to provide peace of mind and prevent any potential issues.
At Lux Garden Rooms, we specialise in bespoke garden rooms for contemporary living, tailored to meet your needs and adhere to all planning and building regulations. Enjoy your new garden space
with the confidence that you’ve covered all bases!