Precise meaning of PD rule about outbuildings not over 2.5m high?

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The government planning portal stipulates in respect of outbuildings under Permitted Development: "Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse."

Does this no part at all of such a structure may exceed 2.5m, or that no part of such a structure which is within 2m of a boundary may exceed 2.5m? This could make quite a difference in the case of a house I'm buying, where an outbuilding with an apex roof some 2.7-2.8m high at the ridge could be positioned so that no part over 2.5m high was within 2m of a boundary, giving me useful extra headroom inside.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom!
 
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Lifted from the Planning Portal interactive guide for outbuildings......'If the outbuilding is within 2 metres of the property boundary the whole building should not exceed 2.5 metres in height.'

Should is an interesting word. You might want to check the actual legislation- if the word 'shall' appears in that then your plan is busted. The intent of the clause is presumably to prevent an outbuilding overbearing on your neighbours' garden/house/whatever.

Options.
1 Have the floor below ground level
2 Have a chat with your neighbours- if they're not bothered then you could chance your arm and throw it up, unless it is a complete eyesore 300mm probably won't get anyone excited
3 Planning permission- see if anyone else in your area has applied for pp for similar sized jobbies & see whether they were accepted/rejected. With pp you could go much higher (depending on what sort of area you're in)
 
Ah. Thanks; very helpful. Yes I've considered applying for Planning Permission; as you say 300mm is not a big deal and it's not a Conservation Area or anything (though as it happens there are two Conservation Areas within a couple of hundred metres).
 
Presumably means the whole building, otherwise the bit outside the 2 metre limit would have no height limit.

Blup
 
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Well no because there are separate stipulations about max eaves height of 2.5m and max overall height of 3 or 4m depending on roof type. But thanks for troubling to reply.
 
The 3 or 4 metre height limits apply "in any other case" so the 2.5 metre height limit is a stand alone limitation.

blup
 

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