Do you need planning permission for a garden room?

Design & Planning

What you need to know about planning rules and whether you need permission for your dream garden room, office or log cabin.

You’ve found the garden room you want, worked out where to put it and are already looking forward to spending time in it. But before you buy, it’s vital to check whether you need to get planning permission.

The size of your room, where you plan to put it, for what you plan to use it, and where you live all impact whether or not you will need planning permission. 

Garden room planning permission 

Most garden rooms don’t require planning permission. They are classed as outbuildings, so you’re allowed to build one as long as you comply with certain rules.

That’s as long as you have permitted development rights at your home or the area you live in.

You might not have permitted development rights if: your home is a listed building your home is in a designated area (eg a National Park, area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), conservation area or World Heritage Site)

Check with your local planning office if you’re not sure. Flats and maisonettes don’t have permitted development rights. The rules are the same whether you live in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales.

Garden room planning rules 

  1. If you want to construct your garden room under permitted development, you’ll need to make sure it meets the following rules, wherever you live in the UK: Your garden room or log cabin isn’t in front of your home. If you have extended it then the front refers to how it stood on 1 July 1948.

2. The total area of all extensions, sheds and outbuildings – including your proposed garden room –  must not cover more than 50% of the total area of land around your house. Again this is the area as it was on 1 July 1948. 

3. It is single storey and less than 3 metres high (4 metres with a dual-pitched roof). If it’s within 2 metres of your boundary, the maximum height is 2.5 metres.

4. The eaves are no more than 3 metres at the highest above ground level.

5. It doesn’t have a balcony, veranda or raised platform.

6. It isn’t self-contained living accommodation.

If you live in a National Park, the Broads, a World Heritage Site or an AONB, the maximum area of outbuildings that are more than 20 metres from your house is 10sq m.  In National Parks, the Broads, World Heritage Sites, AONBs and conservation areas you’ll need to get planning permission if any part of your garden room would sit between the side of your house and the boundary of your property. 

If you live in a listed building, you’ll need to get planning permission for any outbuilding.

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