FAQ

Planning Permission and Permitted Development

Property owners should check that Permitted Development rights have not been withdrawn.
Garden Rooms are considered to be permitted development, and do not an application for planning permission, unless it is

to the side of the house in a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or Conservation Areas;
over 20m from the house and the total area to be covered exceeds 10m² in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Conservation Areas outbuildings;
within the grounds of a listed building;
forward of the principal elevation of the original house;
over single storey with maximum eaves height over 2.5m;
an area larger than 50% of the land of the original house;
separate, self-contained, living accommodation;
over 2.5m in height within 2m of the property boundary.

https://ecab.planningportal.co.uk/uploads/miniguides/outbuildings/Outbuildings.pdf

Certificate of Development

Although planning permission may not be required, obtaining a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) is strongly recommended as it provides proof that your garden room was lawful at the time of construction, which offers peace of mind in case of complaints, and may be requested by solicitors when selling your house.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/lawful-development-certificates

Building Regulations

Building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15m² and contains no sleeping accommodation.

If the floor area of the building is 15-30m², you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building contains no sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed substantially of non-combustible materials.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/outbuildings/is-building-regulations-approval-needed-for-an-outbuilding

We use third party experts who charge, £600 for a full planning consultancy service to acquire planning permission or a Lawful Development Certificate, providing all elevation plans, site and location plans, design and access statement, completing the application and liaising with the Planning Team on your behalf until the planning decision is made. There are additional charges for the following requirements: Tree Plan (£75), Flood Risk Assessment (£75), Heritage, Ecosystems Services and Biodiversity/Wildlife Statements (£50).

A separate fee is payable directly to the council upon submission of the application:-