Is planning permission needed?

whw6

We would like to extend our rear garden to incorporate part of an unused drive to the side of our house. Will we need planning permission to do this? 

Alter_ego

Who owns the land you want to take?

Davesnave

If you own the land, there is nothing that will prevent  you changing its use from driveway to garden.

DevilDamo

Davesnave said:

If you own the land, there is nothing that will prevent  you changing its use from driveway to garden.

Which may be the case here but is not the case in every situation. The OP should carry out the relevant Planning/Covenant checks before just carrying out the works.

whw6

Hi.. the land is ours as it is currently our driveway which is large enough for 3 cars as it runs alongside the house in front of the rear fenced garden. We have sold our second car and so only need space for a single car at the front hence the planned changes

Jeepers_Creepers

And no other property has a right of way over it?

Cool - garden away.

Davesnave

DevilDamo said:

Davesnave said:

If you own the land, there is nothing that will prevent  you changing its use from driveway to garden.

Which may be the case here but is not the case in every situation. The OP should carry out the relevant Planning/Covenant checks before just carrying out the works.

Perhaps they should, but whether they will face eternal damnation if they break some obscure covenant or whatever is the place where personal judgement comes in. It would be a pretty unusual situation if someone was hauled over the coals  for converting concrete or tarmac to attractive garden space. It's probably more important to consider things like drain runs or soak-aways.

whw6

No other property has access or right of way to the area.  There is a common path alongside our drive for neighbours to get to their rear gates but we would not need to encroach on this or block access. We are just looking to convert our drive to an extension of our existing garden.  The only issue I can see is the two meter boxes on the side of the house but we would have to ensure common access to these I guess.

TELLIT01

Most utility providers expect you to do your own meter readings these days so I wouldn't worry too much about access to them

Ant555

whw6 said:

The only issue I can see is the two meter boxes on the side of the house but we would have to ensure common access to these I guess.

When you say 'common access', do you mean access for the meter reading company to access your own gas and leccy meters?  if so then they will have absolutely no issues walking across grass to read a meter from an external box - even if its slightly obscured, as long as it can be opened easily and there are no thorny bushes etc.
My electricity meter is on the outside of the side of my house but behind a locked gate so they have to knock on to access it - although I hav only seen one meter reader in the last 3 or 4 years