confusion on garden office

[bolst3r]

Would someone be able to advise on the following:

I plan to build a garden gym of the following specification:

1. Internal floor, equal to, or below 15m2
2. On my boundary (within 1m)
3. 2.8m tall
4. Normal timber construction/cladding

I know I have to apply for planning consent due to the height creeping over the 2.5m allowance. As i'm still under 15m2 will this mean I can construct this as planned, with combustible materials?

Luckily my garden is around 60x13m, so I have plenty of allowance. If there any reason so assume I won't get planning? It's at the end of my garden, and not overlooked by any neighbours and is around 30m from the nearest building.

I'm happy to apply for planning permission, but would like to make a start ASAP, I know it's bad planning on my side (excuse the pun) but I have a break in work (currently unemployed) so want to make the best use of my time.

TIA

 

[oldbutnotdead]

If it needs pp (which it does due to the height) then you'd be wise to get pp before you build it. Jumping the gun can irritate neighbours, planners etc and provoke them into desperately searching for reasons to refuse.
Building regs yes cos it's small you can carry on with the timber approach

 

[bolst3r]

@oldbutnotdead

Brilliant, I appreciate the quick response, my biggest concern was about the use of non-combustible materials. If this is irrelevant due to it being small, i'll happily crack on with PP. Whilst an inconvenience having to wait, i'll need to spend a few weeks planning the construction and doing some groundworks and ordering materials, before I know it four weeks would have passed so all is not lost.

Now I just need to get the PP done and in super quickly...

 

[^woody^]

Make your own assessment on the likelihood of not getting permission - impact on the neighbours is the fundamental consideration. A timber shed-like building in a suitable location is not something that would normally be refused.

There is nothing to stop you starting work before getting permission, especially doing the ground works and making the panels etc. Whether you go ahead and add the roof is down to your assessment.

I'm not sure whether planners will actually come out now for such a project. They are still asking me for photos instead of a visit. I do draw the line at being asked to stick their notices on lampposts for them though.

 

[bolst3r]

@^woody^

I could start on the groundworks, then I have the option to get the height I need either via planning permission, or changing the warm deck to a hybrid insulation set-up inside. The latter is less than ideal but it wouldn't render the initial work as useless.

With regards to planning, what documents are usually needed?

1. Scale plan of the building (5.4m x 3.4m) which would give an internal floor of 15m2 (under the tolerance)
2. O/S plan of where the house is situated/garden and boundary
3. Site plan (assume this is the O/S map including the position of the new shed?)
4. Supporting pictures of the site

 

[^woody^]

The OS plan needs to show adjacent buildings and two roads. The Site plan is just a zoomed in OS plan just to show the garden and house boundary.

For the actual plans, you only need to show a basic rectangle for the floor plan, and similarly for the elevations - rectangle with triangle for roof. No sections. Show the four sides and put the ground levels and boundary fence in so they can see that in context in terms of height. Put basic overall dimension on, but be careful not to constrain yourself, as if you do dimension it, you can't build it any bigger.

Pictures of a finished article showing the materials will do.

But read your councils local validation policy, as if you don't submit the right details they wont accept it.