Carport/Garage Door installation underneath a coach house

CharlieCH

Would love to have some help with this query as it has me a bit stumped.
We've recently decided to get a door for our car port that is attached to the back of our house. This carport is one of three that sit below a coach house (flat). Two of the carports are held by the flat, whilst the third is leased to us. We live on a new housing estate and have been here for 3 years.
In the leasehold agreement, one of the mutually enforceable covenants says that a door cannot be attached without obtaining the consent of the local authority. The local authority page doesn't mention adding doors anywhere, and as far as I can see from the planning portal, I would not require planning permission (although we haven't checked if planning development exemptions are in force for this estate). The landlord in the coaching house has got difficult about it saying we need his permission to add the door and to get our solicitors to contact his.
Before I do this, i want to make sure i've got everything straight on my end. Can anyone advise if i've missed anything obvious? Should I just go ahead and book the door installation?

JGB1955

Having been 'warned off' by the lessor I would think twice (or maybe many more times) before just ploughing ahead. You've already said that a (relatively new) covenant says you can't add a door.....

Jeepers_Creepers

I fear you are stuffed.

There's been a couple of similar threads recently on here, one in which the garage leaser went ahead and fitted doors - and then had legal action against them to have them removed.

We couldn't get to the bottom of the reasoning behind these covenants, but suspect it's either (a) having a door on there means you cannot simply pull in off the road, so would have your car's arris sticking out on the road whilst you open the door, or (b) the LL won't be able to monitor what it is you have inside the garage that they have to live over - stored petrol, etc.

Billy_B_North

As above, once you have a door on you can start storing all manner of things in there which could be a major fire risk. The lack of a door makes it nearly certain that there’ll only ever be a car and / or a bike.

Cash-Cows

Look at the planning permission that runs with the property. Removal of permitted development rights and a planning condition are common with car ports. Reason: once a door is fitted it's a garage for junk and cars end up on the road.