Potential Planning Issue

Queen-Mise

Hi

I live in a semi-detached, last house on the street. At the side of the house there is a shed the depth of the house. It was basically a crap garage when we moved in. When the gates fell apart I put in a solid wall in the front with a door.

I am planning on making the garage/shed secure & waterproof. I want to be able to move all the laundry/freezer appliances into it. We are going to put in a radiator & proper electricity. Will there be a planning issue with this? I am going to turn the garage into a utility room/rec room for the kids.

muffler

See class 3 exemption here

DOCARCH

Once the use of the garage/shed is 'incidental' (to use the planning term), i.e. ancillary, to use of the main house it's o.k.

Queen-Mise

Thanks to the two of you for the information. Don't want to hit into any problems down the road.

Ramonapixie

I agree with what the previous two posters has said. However, the exempted development guidelines refer to sheds to the REAR of the property. You have said that it is to the side and the depth of the house. Sounds quite big and it sounds like you are going to spend a few quid on it. If I were you id go for a "section 5" to make sure it is exempt. It may very well be but for peace of mind €80 is not too much to pay.
Sheds should be to the rear and have a footprint of less than 25m2, there should be at least 25m2 of open garden space available as well (there are also other limitations). If the shed is over sized and there more than 7 years then the statue of limitations means you wont have to take it down, however, if you ever go to sell the house you may run into problems as no solicitor will handle a sale if there is an unauthorised development on site. Sorry to tell you this, i hope you arent over and that being to the side isnt an issue but i think before you invest money, speak to someone in your local planning office.

muffler

Ramonapixie wrote: »

the exempted development guidelines refer to sheds to the REAR of the property.

Sheds to the side and rear of a house may be exempt subject to certain conditions being met.

Charlie-Bravo

OP, this is an interesting one to review - is the garage connected to the house, or is it a separate free-standing structure to the side of the house? Not sure which class of exempt development may apply in your case!

Poor Uncle Tom

astrofluff wrote: »

OP, this is an interesting one to review - is the garage connected to the house, or is it a separate free-standing structure to the side of the house? Not sure which class of exempt development may apply in your case!

Post No. 2 answers that question.

Ramonapixie

you are right muffler. i was unclear in what i was saying. I had a meeting with a very senior planning enforcement inspector not so long ago and this very topic came up. I should have said that shed to the side and rear are generally ok, however, in an instance where a shed is being built to the side of the last house on the road (corner house) there can be an arguement that the depending what the layout of the house is, that the side could be perceived as the major more significant building line and in that instance, shouldnt be broken. That side of the house may have another run of houses in that direction as well, again creating the more significant building line. It is a bit of a grey area for some PA. IMO of course. Im just putting it out there.