We share the three rules to follow to avoid applying for UK planning permission for your garden room (and avoid the paperwork!)
We speak to a lot of customers in North Wales, Chester, Cheshire and Wirral and it’s no surprise that one of our most-asked questions is ‘what size garden room can I have without having to apply for planning permission?’
We understand. If you’re planning a garden room, annexe or office for your garden, the last thing you want is the hassle of paperwork and waiting for a decision to be made! You want to start enjoying it as soon as possible.
The good news is that in most cases, you don’t need planning permission for your garden room…despite what some architects might tell you! However, it does depend on how your garden room is constructed, so you’ll need to check a few key details - including the size of your garden room.
If you’re looking for complete piece of mind, the team at Rubicon Garden Rooms based on the North Wales and Chester border can explain all the rules around planning permission and building regulations. With over 20 years in the construction industry, we build your garden rooms to the highest standards while remaining compliant with the latest legislation.
What is planning permission?
Let’s start at the beginning. Planning permission is where an officer will assess the impact that your planned build will have on the surrounding area and your people living nearby. Planning permission is granted by the Local Planning Authority (LEA) in your council, so it will differ depending on where you live. For example, in North East Wales, where Rubicon is based, you’d have to apply to the LEA at Flintshire council. In Chester, you’d speak to the LEA at Cheshire West and Chester council.
If you need to apply for planning permission, a planning officer will sometimes come out to assess the plans for your building and the location of your proposed build. These days however, they may just carry out a desktop review of your application. They’ll consider elements such as its location, size, design and appearance to decide whether you’re granted permission to build your structure.
It’s worth checking your Permitted Development Rights
Most garden buildings come under what’s known as ‘Permitted Development Rights’, which means you can carry out building works on your property without a full planning application. All properties in the UK have these rights, however, sometimes these rights can be withdrawn by your LEA under what are known as Article 4 Directions. This might be when the LEA wants to protect local amenities or where they think there’s been over development.
It’s rare to have your Permitted Development Rights withdrawn but it’s always worth checking with your LEA before proceeding with any building work. If you have your rights in place, it’s called ‘Permitted Development’, and it means we’re fine to proceed with your garden room or annexe.
What size garden room doesn’t need planning permission?
While the size of your garden room is important, it’s just one of three main factors you’ll have to consider when planning your garden room under Permitted Development (there are a few others such as Listed Buildings - see our Planning & Building Regulations page on our website.
So, if you comply with the following three conditions, 95% of the time you won’t normally need to apply for UK planning permission for your garden room or outbuilding:
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The height of your garden room. It must be no higher than 2.5 metres from the bottom of the building to the top of the roof.
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The area that your garden room covers. Your garden room can’t take up more than 50% of your total garden area.
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The purpose of the room. Your garden room must not be used for permanent living or sleeping accommodation (unless it complies with the annexe regulations - more later).
When you contract Rubicon for your garden room, garden office or annexe, we ensure that your garden room is built within the rules so it will not require planning permission. Our team are always on hand to advise on any aspect of the regulations with regards to planning permission, so don’t hesitate to get in touch or arrange to come and visit us on the North Wales and Cheshire border, just a mile from J36 on the A55 Express Way along the A5104.
Does my Granny Annexe need planning permission?
Great question. Granny annexes are built for sleeping and living accommodation, so on first glance it would appear that they need planning permission, however, if a granny annexe is built to comply with the Caravan Act it will not normally need planning permission or Building Regulations (apart from Part P Electrical compliance).
What does that mean? In practical terms, it means your granny annexe must be built as a ‘mobile home’. That means it can’t be bonded to the ground using traditional foundations as it must be able to be moveable and transported (this is called the Mobility Test). It must also meet the height, width and length requirements under the Caravan Act, although this can be quite large at a maximum length of 20m and a maximum depth of 6.8m.
However, don’t for one minute think that a Rubicon annexe is built like a cheap caravan, it’s not. On the contrary, they are built to full Housing Standards with substantial walls, super insulation and solid doors to name but a few features. A Rubicon annexe is more like a modern Park Home or a traditional Bungalow than a flimsy caravan.
Building a granny annexe to the requirements of the Caravan Act does require expert knowledge and we don’t recommend trying it unless you fully understand the legal requirements and are an experienced builder with factory manufacturing facilities. The last thing you want is to be told to take it all down!
At Rubicon, we’re engineers at heart, which means our experienced team will build your granny annexe to meet these requirements while still creating a stable, long-lasting and cosy residence.
So that’s planning permission, but what about building regulations? Are they different?
Yes. Building regulations are separate requirements for building work. Planning permission looks at the impact on the surroundings of the development before it’s built, whereas building regulations check how your garden room has been constructed and that it has all the necessary components to be a safe, efficient and accessible building.
Do I need building regulations for a garden room?
In most cases, no, you won’t require building regulations. There are a two main things you’ll need to check:
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Will you be sleeping in the garden house? If so, you’ll need building regulations (unless it complies with the Caravan Act). However, if you’re just planning to use your garden room or garden office as a place to relax, carry out your hobbies or work, you won’t need building regulations (apart from Part P Electrical Compliance).
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The size of your garden room and where it’s located. If the internal floor is under 15m², you can install it close to your borders. If the internal floor is between 15m² and 30m², you’ll need to install it at least 1 metre from any boundary, or we would need to make the walls abutting the boundary from fire resistant materials, which adds a bit of cost. If you comply with these rules, you won’t need to apply for building regulations in most cases.
When it comes to the location of your garden room, our experienced team will advise on the correct position so that it complies with the rules regarding the boundary edge.
Rubicon garden rooms always comply with building regulations
We always go above and beyond at Rubicon, that’s why all our garden rooms, office rooms and annexes comply with Part A of the Building Regulations to ensure the highest standards of structural integrity. That’s how you can be sure that your Rubicon garden room is not only built to last, it’s also structurally sound. It also means if something should happen, such as a tree falls on your garden room, (this actually happened during a winter storm) you can rest assured that the damage will be kept to a minimum!
Plan your garden room today!
If you’d like to explore your dream garden room or annexe in more detail, why not arrange to visit our showroom on the North Wales/Chester border. To arrange a visit, you can get in touch with our friendly team. We’re always happy to answer any technical questions about how your garden room or annexe is built (in fact, we love talking about the technical aspects!) and can advise you on how to create your dream garden room or annexe without the need to apply for planning permission.