Planning Permission Rules
In many instances (subject to size and design) planning permission
is NOT required to build a garden office, chalet, log cabin
etc. if the garden building is for a domestic or leisure purpose.
This may include Crafts, Hobbies, Summer Houses, Swimming
Pool Covers, Saunas - Spa Pools, Gymnasiums, Pets, Playrooms,
Personal study, Storage, Garages.
It is likely that planning permission will be required to
build any other type of garden building or if you intend to
use it for commercial purposes.
If in doubt contact your local planning office for advice.
They will probably ask the following questions:-
- What is the chalet/log cabin/garden room going to be used
for?
- Where is the chalet/log cabin/garden office going to be
located?
- Is your site a registerd AONB (Area of Outstanding natural
Beauty)?
- Is your property a listed building?
- How big is the chalet/log cabin/garden office?
- How is the building contructed and what does it look like?
There are many suppliers of log cabins and other timber buildings
who claim that because the building is made of wood and is
less that 30 sq. meters, planning permission is not required.
THIS IS NOT TRUE!
You should ensure that you have obtained the correct information
regardin planning permission before installing your log cabin/
chalet / sauna / garden office. Your local planning office
will have leaflets and booklets to advise you and they are
free of charge.
Do I need Planning Permission for Log Cabins and Garden
Offices?
The following is taken from the Government Website Planning
Portal
Under new regulations that came into effect on 1 October
2008 outbuildings are considered to be permitted development,
not needing planning permission, subject to the following
limits and conditions:
No outbuilding forward of the principal elevation fronting
a highway.
Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum
eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four
metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other
roof.
Maximum height 2.5 metres within two metres of a boundary.
No verandas, (Note from Dunster House: We interpret1 this
rule as not including what we call “Verandas” or “Deck Verandas”
as the platform is less than 300mm from the ground and this
seems entirely acceptable when reading about the what is allowed
for decking. If in doubt check with your local planning office.)
balconies or raised platforms.
No more than half the area of land around the "original
house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered
by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20
metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres.
On designated land* buildings, enclosures, containers and
pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.
Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding
will require planning permission.
The term "original house" means the house as it was first
built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before
that date). Although you may not have built an extension to
the house, a previous owner may have done so. Designated land
includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding
Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
Planning Permission – why is the 2.5m rule important...
Planning permission can be a complicated mine field – it
was not made any easier when the UK government added another
set of rules in October 2008. Word for word, the rule that
has most affected log cabins is thus:
1) E.1 d) (ii) Development is not permitted by Class E if
the height of the building, enclosure or container would exceed
2.5 metres in the case of a building enclosure or container
within 2 metres of the boundary of the curtilage of the dwelling
house,
In plain English, if the cabin, shed, greenhouse etc. is
over 2.5m high and within 2m of a fence, hedge, wall etc.,
you are not allowed to erect it without planning permission.
There is another rule, which reads like this:
2) E.1 e) Development is not permitted by Class E if the
height of the eaves of the building would exceed 2.5m metres
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