Garden rooms are becoming an increasingly popular way to extend space at home. Their flexible design allows for versatility as they can be used for anything from a generic home office to a more specific golf simulator room, a home gym or a beauty salon. Awareness of garden rooms is growing, but we are still frequently asked about planning permission for garden rooms.
At Garden Room Solutions, our team has over 20 years of experience in property renovation, development and design. This means we have in-depth knowledge of planning permission and regulations for installing a bespoke garden room.
In this blog, we explain whether or not you will need planning permission for your garden room and if there are any exemptions from the rules.
Understanding Planning Permission
Planning permission is approval given by your local planning authority before you build certain developments on your property.
The point of getting this permission is to ensure any additions to the property comply with local planning policies, regulations and guidelines, which keep a uniform look in the area, protect the environment and enhance the quality of life for residents.
So, what needs planning permission?
- New construction projects
- Extension and alterations to existing buildings
- Changes in use of the land or buildings
- Demolition of buildings
- Significant changes to the landscape or natural environment
This is all very well, but where do garden rooms sit? Do you even need planning permission for one?
Do I Need Planning Permission For A Garden Room?
In general, no, you don’t need planning permission to build a garden room.
This is because their construction is covered by Permitted Development Rights, a set of regulations allowing UK homeowners to complete certain home improvement projects without planning permission. However, there are specific conditions that need to be met, and these apply to garden rooms.
- Single storey – the garden room must be one storey with a maximum eaves height of two and a half meters, a total height of four meters for a dual-pitched roof or three meters for any type of roof.
- Proximity to boundaries – if the garden room is within two meters of a boundary, you will be restricted to a height of two and a half meters.
- Overall area – the garden room must be within 50% of the total area of the land around the original building.
- Incidental Usage – the garden room can’t be used as a functional living space but as an additional space from the house, such as an entertainment room, pool room, or outdoor man cave.
However, with all this said, there are occasions when you will need planning permission.
Cases When You Do Need Planning Permission
If your garden room doesn’t meet the criteria set out by the Permitted Development Rights, you will need to apply for planning permission.
In most cases, the sticky point for your garden room fitting comes when you want to use the space as a liveable area, for example, as an annexe for a loved one or an Air BnB. As soon as you install plumbing, there is a need for planning permission.
Further cases will include:
- Exceeding size and height limits – if the garden room is over the maximum height of four meters for a dual-pitched roof or 3 meters for other types of roof, or it exceeds 50% of the total area of land.
- Proximity to boundaries – if the garden room is within two meters of a boundary and exceeds two and a half meters in height.
- Designated land – if your land is classified as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or in a national park and exceeds 10 square meters.
- Listed building – if your home is a listed building, you will need to seek planning permission for a garden room.
- Design and aesthetics – if the design, materials or appearance doesn’t complement the existing house and surrounding areas.
Let Us Guide You Through It
This might all be a bit overwhelming when reading through it, but don’t worry! At Garden Room Solutions, we have installed plenty of garden rooms across Dorset, navigating the planning permission minefield with each client.
As standard, all of our garden rooms meet the criteria of Permitted Development Rights. Therefore, there is usually no need for planning permission for a garden room from us. However, we design and build custom garden rooms, meaning you have the opportunity to make it the space of your dreams.
As we work through the design process, we will flag whether you will need planning permission or not. Should you need to apply for planning permission, our team are on hand to work through the process with you, ensuring you submit a full and detailed application for your garden room plans promptly.
Learn more about planning permission for garden rooms and our services by visiting our showroom in Wimborne or contacting us on our online contact form and we will call you back.