Planning permission, or not, for demolition of an attached garage.

[Tea pot lid]

Hello all, recently joined, asked a question and got a great solution to my problem, thanks.
So here we go again, we are in the process of buying a bungalow with attached single garage.
I want to demolish the garage and erect a double sectional garage in the garden area behind. I am also hoping to build a small bedroom extention at the other end of the bungalow, so removal of the garage would
also allow access to a digger for the footings etc.
I am employing an architect for the extention and l asked if l would need P.P for removal of the garage, l honestly never thought l would as removing the garage is in no way going to effect the integrity of the house.
He tells me he has a mate in the planning department he can have a chat with, but the architect has now gone on holiday for a week.
We will be around to exchanging contracts in a few weeks and am anxious if l can't remove the garage all the
plans will have gone to pot.
Has anybody any idea how long the planning process takes in a case like this and has anyone heard of a refusal.
We are not in a conservation area and it's not in a posh place like the broads ( Sheffield acutally)
I don't want to keep the house seller hanging on for weeks and then say we don't want the place after they have taken it off the market, this house changing is bad enough without all that stress.
Any comments would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Why do you need to wait for the architect?
Just contact the planning authority with a question.

You could also remove the doors from the garage front, and knock the back out.
Obviously done properly!
A mini digger would go right through and you’d have a very solid car port or demolish

 

[Tea pot lid]

Hiya T.cr,
first of all thanks for the reply, l actually considered your idea with the rear opening, but was wanting to widen the driveway leading up to the house and put up electric gates. The garage front sits back from the face of the house by about 3 metres and this would be a perfect placing for gates. Also with the garage gone, l could get the concrete right up to the pad, the bricks, blocks, etc. could be put almost in place and the tipper truck to take away the spoil could be reversed anywhere on the garden saving a massive amount of time and labour.
In other circumstances your idea would be a cracker.
When you suggest contacting the planning authority, would this be by phone, or letter, or online. I an completely new to the planning scene and if l could contact someone somewhere and get an answer it would be absolutely marvelous, could you give me a clue, which department or council offices l need to contact.
Thanks again.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Fair enough,

I would email first, don’t rely on a phone call as you need written proof .
Even if the proof turns out to be incorrect, it would avoid you being blamed.
I suspect that you don’t need permission but you’d need permission for everything else anyway.

 

[^woody^]

Permission is not required.

 

[Tea pot lid]

Hiya woody, thanks for replying, just fired off an email as tcr suggested, to Sheffield planning hoping for a quick reply, just seen, for advice from council costs £ 207 for a written reply.
They should wear masks and have guns for robbery like that.
If what you tell me is correct, it's a massive weight off my mind, l know your'e pretty well up on planning stuff generally as l have read quite a few of your replies on various problems.
Can l ask, are you quite sure about this, or are you positive this is the case!!
Sorry to question your knowledge, but been like a black cloud over me ed this bloody garage.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You won't get a meaningful reply from an email, online inquiry or phone call, Tiger appears to be living in 1992, they will merely invite you to take out some pre-planning advice. Chances are as mentioned it does not need permission unless you're in some Article 4 area where such things are restricted or similar oddity. I would say approximately 99.9% permission would not be required .....

 

[Tea pot lid]

Thanks for the input, freddy, well things are sounding positive on the forum, l just need an official answer to this.
It's the one percent of doubt that could have me having to reinstate the garage that worries me!!

 

[Tea pot lid]

Just a quick update, no response at all to email / question, the sad thing is, l'm not surprised at all.

 

[Koolpc]

Cant see how you would need permission to demolish a garage...

 

[Tea pot lid]

Me either! it's just having to please the tin gods in the town hall.

 

[bsr]

A separate building under 50m3 doesn't need permission for demolition but a building over 50m3 does.

Therefore I think this is potentially a grey area in that if the garage is attached does it need permission as part of the main house.