Home Office/Shed

[Suffolk_J]

My first post of hopefully many as we start our journey of planning our self build!

 

So we already have approved plans for our home and garage as the plot came with full planning permission. We are however looking at amendments which will require submitting a new application.

 

My question is do I need to include outbuildings in the garden, for example a garden shed or realistically in my case a garden office. This will adhere to 'permitted development' but I wasn't sure if is different if we are putting this in at the same time as building the house rather than following the completion. Can anyone offer a clear answer as Google has come up short! Many Thanks!

 

[the_r_sole]

If you're submitting a new application anyway, definitely include it in the plans. 

If you don't have a completed house then there's no permitted development rights, usually anything you change or add during the construction phase would be approved using a non material variation to your planning approval 

[Conor]

May as well add it, and if it's over a certain size or habitable space, you'll need building control anyway.

[Suffolk_J]

Thank you both, on the above if the house structure is erected before the shed/office does that then become a permitted development. We are increasing the size of the garage with the justification of it being a home office/workshop. It's actually going to be a pool/snooker room and gym! Planning consent is restricted to 3 bedroom and although we have no intention of adding another bedroom we're nervous that increasing the garage size and including a home office to the rear of the property may be interpreted wrong. We don't want to incur the time or cost of having to resubmit if the plans are rejected.

[Big Jimbo]

Make sure that the granted planning permission does not remove your permitted devl rights.

[DevilDamo]

@Suffolk_J What changes are you proposing as it would help dictate what Planning application is required?

 

And as @the_r_sole mentioned, you can only utilise PD rights upon completion of the build, subject to them not having been withdrawn obviously.

[Suffolk_J]

Hi @DevilDamo 

 

It's 3 plots that were approved as a joint application, any amendment requires a new application as it would need to be plot specific, once we've done that there is the potential to apply for amendments.

 

In terms of the approved permission it does specifically mention permitted development and does not exclude that from the planning permission. I assume completion means signed off as a habitable development?

 

Could the groundworks and pad be installed prior to that happening, would make sense to at least get that ready at the groundwork stage although wouldn't be a major issue given the small footprint.

[DevilDamo]

So your revised application would include all three plots again!?!

 

Depending on the amendments, they may be considered Non-material or material alterations that would warrant a S73/VoC application.

[Suffolk_J]

No, sorry if I didn't make that clear, it has to be a reapplication in order to separate the individual amendments on each plot, I couldn't amend the initial application as the builds on each plot were identical.

[Adsibob]

On 09/02/2021 at 20:57, Suffolk_J said:

I assume completion means signed off as a habitable development?

There is no hard and fast rule on what this means. We took advice from an expensive planning consultant about a similar issue and she advised it will vary council to council because it's a grey area. In our case we have planning permission for an extension and want to also build a loft under PD. We were advised that we shouldn't build the loft until the extension is complete because that might invalidate our planning permission (which was granted on the basis of there being no loft). We originally applied for a loft and an extension at the same time, all under one planning application and it got rejected due to concerns about "overdevelopment". We amended the application to remove the loft and applied and got approval. Our loft will just be set  back by 20cm to what we would have got had the first application been approved so that it does not touch the roof of the extension we are having - and this can be done under PD.

As to what is complete,  the consultant said that as long as our walls, roof and windows are in and we have photos of the outside showing this, before we start the loft there isn't much they will be able to do.

The whole planning system is a shambles though. That difference of 20cm makes no difference to anybody and it would have been much easier to do it all in one application and built top down, instead of in reverse. Oh well.

[ToughButterCup]

42 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

... 20cm makes no difference to anybody and it would have been much easier to ....

 

Trouble is, it does. How I wish we  lived in a principles-based system instead of a rules-based one. Principles-based order means that everyone would be trustworthy. But we aren't.

Any rule draws a line. Most people will develop up to that line, and a touch beyond (because we're human). And someone else pushes a bit further until someone else says 'No Further' . 200mm 

Edited February 21, 2021 by ToughButterCup

[Suffolk_J]

@Adsibob @ToughButterCup 2 great points and you are both right! There are certainly some ridiculous elements of planning in context but out of context they are loopholes for people to exploit which have a detrimental affect on others. We've decided to proceed excluding the home office and will revisit as a PD, not worth the headache at this stage and I'm sure the house will swallow all our money quite comfortably as it is ?

[ProDave]

Include sheds in planning?

 

I included a "firewood shed" on my plans.

 

First question from building control when the building warrant was submitted "How do you propose to fireproof the walls of the firewood shed"?

 

That shed will NOT get built until after BC sign off then it will be done under PD rules.