Garage Planning Permission

Constructing a new building on your land or adding an extension onto an existing building always raises the same question: Do I need planning permission? If you’re looking to add a garage to your home, you will need all the information about the planning permission laws and regulations to ensure your new garage will be accepted by your local authority.

To help you, the team here at Carvalo have put together this guide on garage planning permission.

Permitted development

The good news is that garages, in general, are a permitted development. This means that you can construct a garage on your own property without needing planning permission. There are some rules to bear in mind, however. The garage must be of an appropriate size, taking up no more than half of the land around the original property and being no taller than 4 metres in height. Any garage you are considering to be bigger than these dimensions will need planning permission from your Local Planning Authority.

The exceptions

Of course, there are bound to be some exceptions to the rule. In certain circumstances, planning permission will be required to make alterations to a building or area of land, in particular, if you live in a conservation area or in a listed building. Buildings or areas of historic importance have more stringent rules in place to protect the building from becoming damaged and the historical nature of the area being tampered with. If you live in a listed building or in a conservation area, any adaptations you consider must be in keeping with the building and the neighbourhood and be fully approved before construction begins.

Building Regulations

When it comes to building regulations, there are different rules for garages that are to be attached to a building and detached garages. Generally speaking, an attached garage with a floor area of less than 30 square metres would not require approval, but it is always best to check with your Local Authority beforehand to ensure you are abiding by legislation.

When it comes to detached garages, you would not normally need to seek Building Regulations approval if the floor area is less than 15 square metres, or between 15 and 30 metres squared but the garage is at least one metre from any boundary or is constructed out of non-combustible materials.

If you are unclear about any of the rules around planning permission or Building Regulations, it is always best to get in contact with your Local Authority council.

Carvalo have been creating beautiful, high quality timber buildings for over 10 years, operating across wide regions of the UK including the areas of Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire. All of our staff are highly trained and fully qualified, so you can be confident that our structures are safe and long lasting. For more information on our services, get in contact with one of our friendly advisors today – we’ll be happy to help with any enquiry.

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