Workshop proximaty to garden boundry?

[Mike Saville]

Hi All,

I've checked my local council planning website but can't find an answer to this question.

I'm planning to build a new workshop in the next few months. The workshop will be at the back of my garden which borders a rail line. The workshop will be 35meters from my house and at least 50+ meters from any neighbouring property so no problem there.

The width of my garden at the back is 7.6 meters. If however I have to allow for a 1 meter clearance between workshop and sides/back of garden then my max width will be 5.6 meters.

Length is not an issue as I could make the workshop anything up to around 15meters long.

I'd like to try and achieve a squarer shape for the shop as I think this will offer a more flexible layout. I think the ideal would be 7 x 9. But this would depend on how close I could go to side/back boundaries.

Hope some of the other workshop builders can help. I'm trying to do as much background research as poss before going to have an informal chat with the local council in a week or 2.

TIA,

 

[mailee]

Well don't quote me on this as I thin it is up to the local planning office but I think it is 1 mtr from any adjoining boundry. Anyone else add any more?

 

[superunknown]

I'm fairly sure its 1m too

This is a helpful site for this type of thing


http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/

 

[ike]

Tis 1 meter unless the building is totally of non-combustible material.

5.6m is a wide shed. :shock:

 

[lugo35]

wouldnt worry niebours are far enough away not to bother them, unless you have had words :wink: .
but if its permanant may cause problems if you sell up.
recently moved house old shed was timber framed with steel sheets. i overlooked the small matter of getting permition from railway board because it was over top of a tunnel . luckily didnt cause to much bother

 

[Lord Nibbo]

I had an extension built about 12 years ago, I seem to recall the 1mtr from the boundry fence only applied between actual houses to stop fire spread. The workshop/double garage I had built several years ago had full planning permission and passed building regs ok, it's built within 12" of my fence.

Take note of the far end and how close it is to the fence

I'm also pretty sure the 1mtr only applies to permanent buildings not a workshop made from wood. But then I could be wrong

 

[Mike Saville]

Thanks for the replies so far. I had a look through the garden law site and it seems that most sheds there are built right up to the boundary.

This workshop will be situated against 3 boundaries. Over the back boundary is about 5 meters of brambles before you reach the railway line. To the right is a stone wall around 6ft in height. The left only has a chain link fence - but also a very friendly neighbour

I can't remember where I read about the 1 meter distance and suspect it may well be in relation to a permanent structure . . . . .

I'm reluctant to go the the planners for advice until I can firm this up a bit. My dealings with local councils in the past leave me less than confidant in their knowledge of their own rules . . . . . .

 

[Jake]

If the floor area is less than 15m2 (and the building does not contain sleeping accomodation!) it is totally exempt from building regulations and there are no additional requirements to comply with.

If the floor area is more than 15m2 but less than 30m2 (and the building does not contain sleeping accomodation) then the building is exempt from building regulations providing either (a) it is more than 1m from any boundary or (b) it is made substantially from non-combustible materials.

Lord N - your blockwork garage is substantially non-combustible!

 

[ike]

I've checked my local council planning website

Just occurred Mike, why not phone the planning dept. They are usually very helpful with this type of enquiry.

cheers,

ike

 

[Jake]

The boundary thing is a building control issue, not a planning issue.

Building control is usually a separate department -and they'll be able to tell you that the relevant rules are as per my post above.

The planning rules are well summarised here:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/englan ... 36906.html

 

[ike]

The boundary thing is a building control issue, not a planning issue.

I think Planning and Building control departments do talk to each other.

 

[Jake]

No doubt they do, Ike, but in my experience they will not speak for each other.

 

[stevel]

Here in Kernow, they don't seem to know much about each other either in my experience.


Steve

 

[iwood]

I've recently looked into the same issue for my own workshop project and Jake's remarks above are spot on.

Less than 15m2 and you don't need to worry which is why you see many garden sheds built right up to fence. 15-30m2 is premitted development (providing you don't cover too much garden or don't live in a flat) and so not subject to planning. It is however caught by building regs and needs to be more than the metre from the boundaries to escape further scrutiny. The issue is fire hazard.

More than 30m2 and I think you'll need approval from both planning and building control regardless of where it goes. Building control are unlikely to let you put a wooden building within a metre of the neighbours fence though may not mind about the railway so long as the back fence belongs to you.

The temporary structure things doesn't cover sheds. These rules are for marquees, stages and the like. Things that are only up for a few weeks max.

 

[Gary]

The temporary structure things doesn't cover sheds. These rules are for marquees, stages and the like. Things that are only up for a few weeks max.

I thought wooden structures like sheds were classed as "temporary structures" as they could be readily moved. As with site huts and portocabin sales offices on building sites which are often in place for several months.

 

[iwood]

Just looked up the Lambeth website which defines a temporary structure as "a building which is not intended to be erected for more than 28 days".

While I was there I looked again at the planning pages and I was wrong on my previous post. A shed bigger than 30m2 doesn't necessarily need planning but it DOES need approval from building regs.

The planning limit is the height restriction. 4m for an apex roof, 3m for a single pitched roof. You might find these limits hard to adhere to in a really large squarish shed.

 

[Keith Smith]

The one metre rule is if you want to erect a shed without planning permission. Closer than 1m to the boundary and will normally need planning approval. My workshop (built as a stables before I bought the house) is right up to the boundary and the guttering overhangs the neighbour's land :-$

 

[Jake]

I shall go and find a boundary wall to bash my head against soon.

 

[Mike Saville]

OK, so my plan of being armed with some clear facts before I visit the planners seems to be in tatters . .

I'll speak with my local planners and let you know what their verdict is . . . .

Thanks for the input.

 

[cambournepete]

Try and get something in writing from them if you can.
That way it's rather more awkward for them if they try and change their minds later...