Are you planning on building a shed or garage on your property? Well, that can be a great idea.
It provides additional space for securely storing all your garden tools, household items, lawnmowers, and other bulky equipment. But there are a few rules that do apply when it comes to building a shed.
You need to make sure that you have shed plans, and you’re not breaching the planning permission legislature, or you might just get caught up in unnecessary legal bindings. That being said.
When do the rules apply? Do we need planning permission to build a shed? These are a few questions we’re here to address through this guide. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Do Sheds Need Planning Permission?
We don’t wish to beat around the bush so let’s get straight to the point – “do sheds need planning permission?” Well, in most cases, they don’t. The answer to this question depends on where you live and what type of shed you wish to build.
However, a few other crucial factors that need to be considered before deciding on building a storage shed, garage, greenhouse, or any different structure on your property. If you meet the following set standards and regulations, there’s no need to apply for planning permission. So, let’s take a look…
- The shed shouldn’t be built or installed in front of any walls at the front of your house.
- Your building shouldn’t occupy a space of more than 15 m square.
- The exterior finish of the shed should conform to that of your house.
- The height of the shed shouldn’t exceed 3 meters unless you have dual pitched roofs. In that case, it can be 4 meters high.
- The building shouldn’t exceed 2.5 meters if it’s within 2 meters of your property boundary.
- Your shed shouldn’t cover more than 50% of the land around your house, combined with other outbuildings and extensions.
- The building shouldn’t negatively affect spaces of outstanding natural beauty, conservation areas, or any other government-protected lands, such as world heritage sites.
- Make sure there are no verandas, balconies, or raised platforms.
That being said, let’s now move on to answer another critical question related to the need for planning permission.
Do Sheds Need Planning Permission In A Conservative Area?
Suppose you’re living in a national park, the broads, an area of outstanding natural beauty, a world heritage site, or a conservation area. In any one of these cases, you’ll have to follow an extra set of rules if you plan to build a shed.
Firstly, you’ll need planning permission to build a shed on the side of your property. And secondly, you’ll need to make sure your shed doesn’t take up an area of more than 10 m square. It’s also important to note that if you’re living in a listed building, planning permission must be obtained before you install a garden shed.
Now, homeowners who fail to meet the required criteria should contact their local building authorities and apply for planning permission. You’ll have to fill out an application, and the average processing time for the same would be around eight weeks.
Just make sure you don’t go ahead and build a shed without planning permission in such cases. This may lead to a legally binding order from the local authority to dismantle your unauthorized construction and, of course, a hefty fine.
Building Regulations
It’s equally important to pay attention to building regulations when you plan on building a storage shed. For instance, making sure the structure is secure and not used just as sleeping accommodation.
That said, there’s no need to apply for building regulation if the building floor area is less than 160 square feet. And suppose the floor area is anywhere between 50 and 100 feets. In that case, you won’t require building regulations, provided the building doesn’t have sleeping accommodation and is at least one meter from any boundary.
Final Words
Is your building within a garden, or is it going to be used for business? Well, if the answer to these questions is no, you don’t need planning permission to construct a shed.
However, there are rules to follow, especially if you’re living in a listed building or within a conservative area. In such cases, you’ll have to apply for planning permission to prevent legal hassles in the future.
On that note, we now come to the end of this brief informative guide, and we hope this helped you find all the information related to the topic.
With this, we’ll take your leave. Till next time!
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