Lean-to permissions and regulations help.

[Kburrito]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning some renovations and need advice on the permissions and regulations involved. Here are the details of my project and some specific questions I have:

Current Situation:

• I have a concrete sectional garage.
• There's a small walkway between my house and the garage leading to the back garden.
• My house was built in the 1960s and isn't in a special area with additional rules.

Plans:

• I want to remake the front entrance garden fence/wall, extending from the house to the garage, renewing the garage front in the same style.
• I have an idea to build the fence like a timber wall with horizontal cladding on the external facing side, using marine plywood as a base (I have a ton of marine plywood left over from previous projects so I'm not shy in using it up).
• I plan for the fence wall to potentially be used in the future for a simple lean-to extension. This would involve two timber walls covering each side of the garden and a roof covering the walkway all the way across the top of the existing garage and incorporating the front fence as the wall. (hence the thicker fence at front).

Some Info:

• The entrance way is less than half the width of the house. However, if I include the garage in the lean-to, it exceeds half the width of the house.
• The lean-to will not extend past the front or back of the house.
• There are no highways on the garage side of the house.
• The planned cladding will be timber.
• The structure will be higher than 2m but less than 2.5m at eaves.

Questions:

1. Ignoring the lean to plans for this question, am I even permitted to build a large wall like that to act as a fence (higher than 2m, approx 2.5m at house end, depending on option chosen - see images below)?
2. Does this count as an extension if I create a lean-to in the future if it will be attached to the house and covered both sides?
3. I believe this falls under permitted development rights, even though it would count as an extension. Is it an issue if the garage is included in the lean-to, making it more than half the width of the house? Does this rule apply if the garage already exists and I’m just covering it with a new roof that connects to the lean-to?
4. Should I ignore the lean-to plan to simplify things and just rebuild the fence up to 2m high and make it look nice instead?
5. Any other ideas or suggestions?
6. Assuming the rest is fine, I think there might be issues with front cladding? Rules say it has to be similar to rest of house (brick) but I see a lof other "lean to's" made out of composite cladding, PVC or sometimes timber?
   
   I included some pictures of ideas I had:
   Option A - wall build slanted already with roof in mind.
   Option B - Wall build flat with idea that it can be extended upwards for a slant when it comes to lean to (though fence would be more than 2m high).
   Option C - Ignore this plan, rebuild nicely and save the effort and stress.
   
   Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[^woody^]

That's a long post, I've only skimmed it, but generally in a planning context there is no difference between a shed or lean-to knocked up in pallets and a proper masonry addition - they are extensions and the same planning rules apply.

Equally, joining one extension to another building attracts the same planning rules in terms of enlargement.

And building regulations can apply too.