Newbie planning permission Q's: patio (maisonette)

[Tardigrade]

Hello everyone, and thanks in advance for any help you provide! I'm a total planning newbie.

Situation:
A) I live in a maisonette attached to a block of flats. Private garden forms part of my lease. Neighbour and I's private gardens are "twinned" within a brick wall. Garden backs on to a green, not a road. Neighbour and I would like to jointly do work, so it all matches up.
B) Primarily would like to pave over c. 75% with permeable block paving to form a patio. I'm also thinking about getting an awning to cover some of it, but that is of secondary likelihood/importance.
C) More worried about planning than freeholder consent. Someone living in the block opposite is a busy body and some chance she will report when she sees the work being done. Annoying as I know most neighbours have paved over without either planning or freeholder consent but she has some issue with me that I've not been able to figure out.
D) If it matters, there is a concrete access panel thing for some form of utilities, probably leading to my flat only. My (not next door) neighbour appears to have replaced it with a new paved covering when paving over his garden though so it wouldn't seem to be an issue.
E) Camden council freeholder.

Questions:
1. Am I right that the patio needs planning? If so, I was browsing the fee calculator to figure out cost and couldn't for the life of me find a category that clearly aligned. What category would fit?

2. Could I do a single application for a single dwelling? It seems half the cost of a single application for "two dwellings or more" and it's not like it is any additional work for them! Or worse, does my neighbour have to apply separately? If I go for a single application to cover just me, would doing work for the neighbour constitute breaching my application for my property should it come to enforcement? (Suspect neighbour would rather take risk).

3. Can patio and awning go on same application for same cost? If so, would rejecting the awning put the patio at risk or can I make it clear I'd like to do one without the other if I have to? If I do the awning I'll ask for freeholder consent. If they say no, would not doing it mean I'm "not complying" with planning, making the patio application void?

4. What level of information do I need to provide? Do i really need to learn how to scale draw and do elevations for something as ridiculously simple as "can I pave over please?". Can't I just take a photo of the garden?

Thank you!

 

[^woody^]

You don't ned planning permsision for a patio or an awning.

Planning and landlord consensts are distinct and one does not affect the other.

 

[Tardigrade]

Hi - on what basis do you say this? Internet suggests the complete opposite.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

A quick look at the Planning Portal appears to give you the OK to pave over your back garden (subject to freeholder consent) despite your place being a maisonette. The awning might be another matter- Portal says 'consult your local authority'- that'll probably cost. What shouldn't cost is determining whether your PD rights have been removed for any reason (Article 4 is common)- if the place is fairly new (10 years or so) the original pp for building it with any conditions applied should be on your councils' website, if older then a trip to the Town Hall might be necessary.

Regarding awning, were you contemplating one of those cantilever things? Be wary.....

PS It is a bit rude to join a site, pose a question then start arguing when someone posts an answer.

 

[Tardigrade]

Hi,

I didnt' argue, I asked for the basis of his response. I'd also like to ask for yours! You say "a quick look". Well, my quick look brought this as the only relevant guidance:
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/21/flats_and_maisonettes

I see no mention of paving over gardens on the list, so seems blank. So the only direct reference to what I want is this:
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/45/paving_your_front_garden

And this explicitly excludes maisonettes. So I don't see the writing that says I don't need permission?

 

[Tardigrade]

PS: I only have one garden, and it is outside my front door, which itself is not facing the road. Does this make it a front or back garden?! (Should it matter).

 

[oldbutnotdead]

PS: I only have one garden, and it is outside my front door, which itself is not facing the road. Does this make it a front or back garden?! (Should it matter).

The Portal gets excited about paving over garden between front walls and highway. Sounds as if your front door opens into some sort of courtyard? Which should be fine. Might be worth you exploring Certificate of Legal Development (I can't be bothered to trawl through the docs looking at specifics for maisonettes)- you'd need some drawings for it but nothing complex

 

[oldbutnotdead]

You're right, the PP gets blurry. It lumps flats and maisonettes together & then in the Interactive Guides you find a bit about Flats and Shops which is where I lifted this from https://interactive.planningportal....at-and-shop/patios-driveways-and-hardstanding (the link to the interactive guide says 'Planning permission and building regulation information for shops, flats and apartments'.

 

[Tardigrade]

Thanks. It opens up into a communal green. Basically, two blocks facing each other with a green in between, and no road in sight. So, from what you say, "back garden".

Do you have anything you can link to that is formal suggesting I don't need to apply? Would be a massive relief. Just I don't want to find out afterward that I did need planning and have as my only defence: "someone on the internet told me" - won't be enough I imagine!

Temporary edit: posted this before I saw your link. Reading now.

 

[Tardigrade]

That link looks perfect! Thanks so much. I'll worry about the awning at a much later stage.

 

[^woody^]

Hi - on what basis do you say this? Internet suggests the complete opposite.

Town & Country Planning Act 1990, and ammendments.

 

[Tardigrade]

Thanks for the double-confirmation! Feel confident now.