When is a shed no longer a shed?

emeraldisle

Hi All,

we live in an old terraced house with a large (41sqm) garage/shed at the back, which has access to a laneway with vehicular access. At the moment, it's used for our many bikes and as a workshop for DIY and more creative projects. It has a metal double door to allow vehicular access. This door is rotting and becoming a security hazard, so we need to sort this out. But the building is so old that the walls themselves aren't in great shape, so we think we should rebuild the whole thing.

While we're at it, we're tempted to make it more comfortable - seal it properly and insulate it, put in a velux window -so that it can be used as a den by the kids as well as continuing to store the bikes and DIY stuff. And this has led us to think about putting in a toilet, maybe a shower, maybe a sink connected to the main water supply.

So my question is: would this work require planning permission? Would putting in a loo or shower or a kitchen sink imply a change of use? And if planning were required, would we be likely to get it? (Sorry, that's three questions).

Thanks!

sydthebeat

emeraldisle wrote: »

Hi All,

we live in an old terraced house with a large (41sqm) garage/shed at the back, which has access to a laneway with vehicular access. At the moment, it's used for our many bikes and as a workshop for DIY and more creative projects. It has a metal double door to allow vehicular access. This door is rotting and becoming a security hazard, so we need to sort this out. But the building is so old that the walls themselves aren't in great shape, so we think we should rebuild the whole thing.

While we're at it, we're tempted to make it more comfortable - seal it properly and insulate it, put in a velux window -so that it can be used as a den by the kids as well as continuing to store the bikes and DIY stuff. And this has led us to think about putting in a toilet, maybe a shower, maybe a sink connected to the main water supply.

So my question is: would this work require planning permission? Would putting in a loo or shower or a kitchen sink imply a change of use? And if planning were required, would we be likely to get it? (Sorry, that's three questions).

Thanks!

a shed is no longer a shed when you stop using it as a shed.

it all comes down to how you use it.

If you use it for the enjoyment of the main house ie as a kids den / summer house etc then thats fine

however if you use it as a separate living accommodation then you are into a planning requirement situation (Even if its one of the family living out there)

emeraldisle

So it wouldn't be the case that a planner would look at it and say "well you're clearly lining it up for a change of use by making it habitable, so you need planning permission"?

Lumen

Is it currently planning compliant?

emeraldisle

The main part of the shed has been there since the house was built, then extended - we think in the 1940s. I'm assuming that planning compliance isn't an issue if it's been there that long - is that right?

looksee

I am not sure how far back they go, but currently anyone selling a house has to have all extensions and altered bits made acceptable to planning - retention has to be applied for.

It might be easiest to ask for a pre-planning meeting and establish what you need to do - afaik you have to get permission to knock down structures. Alternatively if you are getting someone to do plans for you they might be able to advise you. Having said that if it is completely behind the house they probably won't be concerned.

Water John

AFAIK planning Act dates from 1963.

Lumen

emeraldisle wrote: »

So it wouldn't be the case that a planner would look at it and say "well you're clearly lining it up for a change of use by making it habitable, so you need planning permission"?

I don't think it works like that.

Even if you improve the structure and then commit a planning violation by living in it (extreme case) without having applied for permission (which you wouldn't get) they will presumably just ask you to revert the use, not the structure. It's no different than if you started living in the hobo shack you have right now.

This is different from the case of building a new 40sqm detached shed, which would require planning permission even if non-habitable.

Just make very sure you have documentation (i.e. many photographs) of the original structure before you start work.