DIY garage build on non permitted development land leased from local council

[Garage build]

 

I am a DIYr who has found themselves in the red tape hell that is building control. “ We will not give you any advice on build materials or design that will help you pass building regulations as there are people out there that make a living from providing this service.” And this is the attitude when I asked for guidance on building a simple car garage from a publicly funded body. Honestly you could not make this up.

 

The background is …… I lease a concrete pad from my local council. It is leased to me by contract for the purposes of building a single story car storage garage 5.4m x 4.3m for private use only. 

 

Because there is no existing structure on the concrete pad and the land does not have permitted development rights.  My local council planning and building depts have said I need to get planning permission and the structure has to pass the latest Scottish building control standards.  There are other garages in the compound and there are no existing structures within 1m of my concrete pad. And yes none of them have planning permission or building certificates “ not your concern they say.”

 

You might like me be confused how a council can lease me the plot specifically for this purpose with no outlying planning permission to do so?

Well according to my councillor they can and it’s up to me to attain the appropriate permissions from two other departments of the same council, crazy world !!!!! Or am I being royally financially ripped off? I can’t help but feel the latter is the case.

 

The latest explanation from my local building control office was “If you were building in your own garden that would have what’s known as permitted development rights to build a garage without these permissions.” But I have to jump through the legal hoops and pay for the privilege, £600 minimum I estimate in planning and building permits that must be applied for on the online planning and building portal.

 

“The structure must meet all the latest Scottish building standards regulations. Even if its square meters falls under 30m2 and legally does not need a building permit application submitted.” It can still be inspected and if does not conform to code I can be told to take it down.

 

So I’m left trying to design and build a structure that’s legal, functional but within an acceptable budget. Under the terms of the lease agreement I’m not allowed to build in blocks or brick on the site.

 

Can anyone give advice on what materials and design I can build to whilst meeting the most recent building control standards, including latest fire prevention regulations! These are quite specific I hear and changed in early 2025

 

My initial plan was to build a timber pitched roof frame. To be clad externally in metal corrugated sheets or vertical overlapping wood board and batten style with corrugated metal pitched roof. The interior was to be lined with a boarded material that is fireproof to 30 minutes and moisture resistant. Would this pass the latest regulations?

 

I have looked at products that wood can be coated in to make it fireproof but the cost is extortionate 1k+ to treat a wooden structure of this m2

 

If anyone has any experience of building such a structure and getting their design over the line with Scottish building standards without it costing a small fortune please get in touch and let me know how you did it and how you constructed your garage on land of non permitted development status and meet the latest building standards.

 

Thank you

Steve 

[Russell griffiths]

Why would you build a permanent structure on land that is leased, unless you have a long lease. Does your lease state that you have to put the structure back to the state it was before you built, meaning you will need to remove your garage. 
 

depending on what you want to put in the garage maybe a shipping container or pre fabricated sectional garage would be better. 

[Garage build]

Hi Russel,

Yes it’s a long term lease and if the lease is terminated by the council for good reason I must remove the structure. The lease also states It can’t be built in stone or block.

 

I have no garden so this was the only way I could get a place to store and work on a vehicle near my home without paying monthly storage costs. The lease is a small one off payment each year.
 

shipping containers are not permitted as part of the lease. And prefab concrete sectional garages of these dimensions are very expensive to purchase and a nightmare to move and dispose of should the need arise.
 

However I do have the ability to build a structure myself but it must meet 2025 building code regulations.

 

My hope is that someone with knowledge of the new 2025 building code regulations may point me in the right directions regarding design and materials for a single story pitched roof 5.4m x 4.3m car garage of timber frame. 
Thank you

Steve 
 

 

[gaz_moose]

So what do you do about foundations? Are you allowed to dig holes in your slab?

 

Id probably just build a concrete sectional garage. My old one was 14ft by 16ft and took about a day to knock down with a sledge hammer then £200 cash for a grab lorry. So buy a secondhand one off ebay for 99p and pay some labourers to do the hard work.

[Garage build]

Hi Gaz,

I did look into this as a possibility but the problem here is that I can’t find a prefab concrete garage tall enough to take my campervan.

 

This is what actually started all this …. One simple question of the planning department……. “ are there any height restrictions when building a wooden framed pitched roof private car garage?” 
 

Then we were off and running, with the need for planning permission and building warrants, none of which were mentioned in the lease agreement. 
 

Thank you

Steve 
 

 

[Garage build]

Yes I can drill holes in the slab to secure the frame of the garage to it. 
Steve 

[Nickfromwales]

How secure does it need to be? Can it just be like a carport? 

[ProDave]

I think the mistake here was asking.  You should have just built it.  Now they have you in your sights.

 

In our little road there is one timber shelter for a camper van and one block built garage, both built in positions that were outside permitted development.  Neither sought planning and neither has had any enforcement action.

 

I assume you are just intending a timber structure bolted to the concrete slab?

[Nickfromwales]

23 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I think the mistake here was asking.  You should have just built it.  Now they have you in your sights.

This. 

[Russell griffiths]

Steel frame agricultural barn type thing. 
steel c sections bolt to the slab, clad on the outside so non flammable construction, insulation on the inside and then osb clad on the inside. 
im not sure of any regs for a garage apart from fire regulations close to other properties. 
as far as I’m aware there are very few regs for a garage. 
 

I would get the detailed drawings from the agricultural barn company and send that to the council. 
 

 

[Russell griffiths]

 

I’ve had a few of these, fairly straightforward to put up with one helper. 

[Garage build]

6 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

How secure does it need to be? Can it just be like a carport? 

Hi it’s in a secluded area so yes it needs to be a secure windowless garage 

[Garage build]

Hi Russel.

that style of windowless metal clad agricultural building was just what I had in mind with a wooden frame to keep cost down. 
Steve 

[Garage build]

Yes I fully agree that in approaching the local building control / planning dept looking for some helpful empathetic advice I got what I probably deserved. In my defence I did not know that planning permission and building reg compliance was a requirement for any new structure as it was not stated in the council lease for the garage plot. 
 

 

 

[Temp]

Contact companies that make metal or concrete garages and have them confirm theirs meets the regs. Perhaps pay for pre application advice from the planners and send them brochure images?

 

The regs also include the foundation slab suitability for the ground conditions so you may need to dig a hole to check how thick the slab is?

 

Think about how it will be sealed to the slab to stop water running in under? Ditto at the doors?

Edited 2 hours ago by Temp

[Gus Potter]

13 hours ago, Garage build said:

I am a DIYr who has found themselves in the red tape hell that is building control.

I sympathise!

 

What's you budget? 

 

In Scotland on something like this we have the Planners, who are interested, in not least, in what it is going to look like from the outside, how big and how high. 

 

Then we have Building Standards. On something like this one main thing they will look at are the fire boundary conditions. It's your responsibility not to set light to an adjacent structure. 

 

It would help a lot if you can post some photos of the site so we can see a panoramic view. 

[ProDave]

Examples of the adjoining other garages on the site might be useful at least from a planning perspective.

[saveasteading]

WElcome @Garage build A lively question.

 

Agreed with the above:. Unless you are a highly skilled joiner, when timber would suit you, buy a metal kit.

 

I'd be disappointed but not surprised if the kit suppliers don't have fire certificates for structural integrity and also for fire. But you can get help from an SE (who you pay for their 4 years at Uni and minimum 3 more before getting the qualification). Or even on here (But I and the others would not be putting their name to it).

 

Fire must not break through the wall and spread, and the heat should also be held back. At the same time, the building must stay standing at the boundary, which means protecting the structure.

Think of it please, if next doors garage fire set alight yours with your car in it.

 

14 hours ago, Garage build said:

extortionate,  red tape hell, Honestly you could not make this up. crazy world !!!!! ripped off

 

Not really.

You seem very annoyed at everything, but I appreciate that construction is not your field of experience. Perhaps you think building is just joining things together. 

In my opinion it is fair that a person building should pay for all services, which would otherwise be paid by ratepayers who dont need the building.

 

Intumescent paint is the material you have heard of. It is a complex product requiring vast resources to invent, perfect and test, and then is much more expensive than normal paint to make too. £1,000 seems optimistic as you would need many coats then a sealing coat. There are other ways to protect structures.

 

You've had good advice from everybody from the sound of it.

 

 

14 hours ago, Garage build said:

If anyone has any experience     Scottish building standards without it costing a small fortune

 

Yes   I have and so have others above. But our reasonable charge for design or cost to build may be your small fortune. Have you a budget in mind? It may be realistic or perhaps the project is not viable.

 

How secure do you need it to be? There is a big range from making it lockable through to preventing determined and expert thieves.  The metal building above would not stand a ram raid or a bright couple of guys with a screw gun, but would deter the idle passer-by thief.  btw that front building's vehicle door will cost about £1500 minimum.  The building, I'm guessing £8,000 and then there are footings and floor slab. and fire walls.  for a contractor to do it all add 30%

In my experience a building of that sort is almost more secure with a window.  Otherwise it is imagined as having lovely expensive tools or vehicle in it, and gets broken into regularly.

 

Sorry it also sounds negative and disheartening but that is reality.

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

At least with a modular building it can be sold on later to recoup some lost costs, but a free or close to free garage for a campervan is a bit unrealistic to be honest. £600 pcm would rent you something probably close to what you want (so x that x the number of years and then rethink your expectations a bit?)  

 

My basic man-shed at the side of the house cost me around £3k to do DIY, 7.2m x 3.6m footprint with metal profile roof, 4x2 timber frame with 18mm OSB interior for racking and same floor (wish I'd gone ply on the floor!!!!).

 

Bottom line is, it needs a sensible budget. I'd start looking for a used small commercial metal building and modify it to fit. An afternoon with a metal cutting circular saw / recip, and some mates around with free beer and food etc should suffice.