Garden Office - Do I need planning permission?

noah1234

Hi,

I have been researching this for a while and I hope someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

I understand that if you are to build an out building in the garden up to 30 sqm and up to 2.5 metres high if it is within 2 meters of the neighbours boundaries, you wouldn't need a planning permission.

I'm going to use it as a part time office, to do some work online.

A builder told me today, if I was to dig footings for the mentioned building, then I must apply for planning permission, is that true?

Thank you.

System

Rule no 1, don't take planning advice from builders (apart from doozergirl)

Hoploz

You can find out the rules from Planning Portal .gov

You also need to check your house details to make sure there aren't any restrictions, eg covenants or removal of permitted development rights.

EachPenny

noah1234 wrote: »

I'm going to use it as a part time office, to do some work online.

To be permitted development one factor is the use of the building has to be "for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse".

Different planning authorities adopt slightly different approaches to deciding what an "incidental purpose" actually is and there are many grey areas. A part time office may well be one of them.

If you used the space full-time for work then the probability of needing planning consent is greater.

What it may come down to is whether you have any neighbours who might present the council with detailed records of when you were seen to be 'working' in your office and demand that enforcement action is taken against you (stranger things have happened )

So you'd also need to think about what you'd use the building for when you are not working - for example if you'd also use a computer or other equipment for domestic reasons which would be indistinguishable from 'work' to an observant neighbour.

If you think it possible the building might upset neighbours and/or they might report you for business use then it might be best to start by asking the council if what you propose falls within their understanding of PD. Ideally you'd get something in writing, but failing that make a note of the name of the person you speak to, and the date and time of any phone calls.

Before doing that it might be worth finding a copy of the council's Local Plan and see if it has anything on the subject of home working - many councils encourage it because it is claimed to reduce car trips.

TheCyclingProgrammer

I have a garden office. The thing about digging footings is rubbish. However the post above makes a good point about different councils interpreting !!!8220;incidental!!!8221; use differently.

In all likelihood an office with a desk and computer and no visitors is unlikely to cause a problem. However you may wish to apply for a certificate of lawful use to be on the safe side. I did this, it cost about £80, I explained how I would be using it as a home office and I got the certificate no problem.

My office was from Green Retreats and it sits on concrete pad/plinth footings. It!!!8217;s 3x3m.

onomatopoeia99

The 30 square metres thing is building regs exemption if a substantially non-combustible structure near a boundary (15sqm if it is combustible), not planning, from memory. Six years since I looked in to it for a garage though, so others may have a better memory or more up-to-date information.

noah1234

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

I have a garden office. The thing about digging footings is rubbish. However the post above makes a good point about different councils interpreting !!!8220;incidental!!!8221; use differently.

Thank you all for your helpful replies. I really appreciate them.

The main reason why I want to work from a garden office because I feel like home is not home for me any more, it is my work place and it is making me feel stressed all the time at home, that's why I thought I either want to rent an office and work there or build an office in the garden to avoid wasting money on rent.

As you have a garden office, do you feel like it is the same as working from home? or does it feel separate?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

noah1234 wrote: »

As you have a garden office, do you feel like it is the same as working from home? or does it feel separate?

It does make difference, you get your house back, if you don't live alone you have somewhere to go and close the door if you need peace and you don't have to worry as much about tidying up.

As the other poster said a computer and no visitors is unlikely to be an issue, just make sure it's well insulated otherwise you'll be cold in the winter.

Something like this should be relatively easy to self build (plenty of videos on Youtube for ideas) and for £1500-2000 you could make a very nice place (although it sounds a lot as you were considering renting it's likely £2000 wouldn't go far in rent). Personally I wouldn't be paying a builder to do the job.

TheCyclingProgrammer

noah1234 wrote: »

As you have a garden office, do you feel like it is the same as working from home? or does it feel separate?

For the most part it feels separate, although it's hot and the summer holidays so I still can't avoid the kids playing in the garden when I've got the doors wide open!

But it feels like my space, it's my office and not an office/spare room. I run my own software development and consulting business and work from home 90-100% of the time. I have no regrets, I'd been waiting for years to get one. 3x3m is a good size for a one person office (although if space/money wasn't an issue I would have loved something like a 5x3m for a bit of extra "leisure" space or a toilet/kitchenette). I can still fit in a decent sized desk, chair, storage furniture and a small sofa.

It makes it easier for me to "go home" for the day. Once I shut up the office and go back indoors, I'm no longer at work.

I also HIGHLY recommend Green Retreats, who were excellent from beginning to end. I've only had a few minor snagging issues with my building and they've all been dealt with promptly. I have an Inspiration with extended deck and red cedar cladding to the front and on one side (the sides not visible from within our garden are standard pressure treated redwood).

https://www.greenretreats.co.uk/products-and-prices/inspiration/

The only thing I'd say is that whilst is reasonably insulated and did a good job of keeping me warm over the winter (using just a small oil filled radiator), there isn't enough insulation to stop it getting extremely hot in the temperatures we're having right now, simply due to the amount of glass at the front (the front elevation is french doors and two side panel windows, so probably 90% glass).

Even though mine is facing north-east, it still gets enough morning sun to heat it up quickly (to 30C+). However as soon as you throw the doors wide open and open the window (I have a small desk height window next to me) it cools down to acceptable levels quickly enough. As I mentioned above though, if it's hot outside and you want some privacy or need to block out noise you're either going to have to make a choice between comfortable temperature and privacy or get a decent cooling system/fan.

TheCyclingProgrammer

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head wrote: »

Something like this should be relatively easy to self build (plenty of videos on Youtube for ideas) and for £1500-2000 you could make a very nice place (although it sounds a lot as you were considering renting it's likely £2000 wouldn't go far in rent). Personally I wouldn't be paying a builder to do the job.

I'd have to disagree with this. You're not going to be able to "easily" self-build anything more than a glorified shed, which is about all you'd be able to manage for £1500-2000.

My middle of the range spec garden office cost me around £15k. That's timber framed, insulated walls to modern standards (e.g. breather membrane, batten, red cedar cladding), composite/steel flooring and roof system, plastered interior upgrade, insurance grade/high energy rating doors and windows, laminate flooring, internal electrics/data cabling and also includes the cost of external power connection (done by my own electrician). I decorated it myself.

A smaller building might cost you around £12k and a lower spec building (more like a posh log cabin) maybe around £6-8k but its unlikely to be well insulated or very usable all year round.

Larger, higher spec buildings can start from £20k+.

I've done my own research - you're very unlikely to find a local builder who can build something of a similar spec and quality from something like Green Retreats or one of the many other garden office companies, for the same price, because the aforementioned suppliers can cut their costs by pre-fabricating large sections/components in their factory and then simply assembling them on site. My building took just under two days to construct and a further day for plastering/electrics/final fix.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Well yes true if you have 10-15K to spend that will buy you a very nice building, just being on a money saving site and all a very comfortable space can be made for a lot less (didn't consider the cost of the electrics to be fair).