Hello everyone,
I have a planning question which I wanted to run by the experts.
My house has a detached brick-built barn (built c1910) at the end of the garden. The barn comprises two ground-level rooms (10ft x 10ft and 15ft x 10ft). Each of the downstairs rooms has a pair of old double barn doors made out of wood. There are no windows in any part of the building. Upstairs is under the pitch of the roof and is only any good for storage as the ridge height is only 1.5m, so you can’t stand upright.
The barn currently has an electrical connection with lights and power. There is NO sewer connection or running water.
I currently use the barn as a glorified shed, but this seems like a waste as I have a double garage which I don’t use and which could be used for that purpose.
I would therefore like to convert the barn into a games room and small gym. I would like to do the following:
- Complete rewire by qualified electrician (all certified). Include provision for a couple of electric room heaters.
- Concrete screed to level downstairs floor – probably with a layer of damp proofing whilst I’m at it
- Batten, insulate and plasterboard the downstairs walls
- Replace the two sets of double doors with traditional hardwood glazed double doors
- Leave the loft area as it is, but insulate the loft area (as you would a normal house)
The barn will have NO kitchen and NO connection to the main sewer as this would involve digging a 200ft trench down my beautiful garden! As a compromise (cheap and cheerful), I am considering running a hosepipe underground to the end of the garden (I can bury it under the flower beds down the side). This would take a feed from the cold water supply which runs through the garage. I’d like to put a simple tap and sink in one corner of the barn, with drainage out to the existing soakway used by the guttering on the pitched roof. All that this sink would be used for is to rinse hands, fill a bucket etc. The amount of waste water would be tiny and nothing compared to the amount of water that must flow into the soakaway when it rains hard. Would this be acceptable, or would it require proper drainage in order to comply with regs? It’s not a show stopper if I can’t do this – two rooms with no water would be OK. It’s just a simple thought I had.
Assuming the converted building is classified as a games room, I do not believe I need planning permission. Of course, I will need to get the electrics certified (part p etc). What about building regulations? Are there any rules for outbuildings like this, or is it a case of “do it to the standards you want”? As you can see I am planning to insulate the building as much as possible, but I doubt that it will come up to full residential standards (I am not, for example, planning on insulating the floor).
In the back of my mind I want to do it “properly” so that if, in the future, I wanted to turn it into a full blown annexe (which would need planning permission) I would have the right starting point.
My understanding is that permission is only required if the converted building could be used as a standalone dwelling. To be used in this way it would require a kitchen and bathroom, neither of which this building will have.
I would really welcome your thoughts.
Thanks so much,
Ed
I have a planning question which I wanted to run by the experts.
My house has a detached brick-built barn (built c1910) at the end of the garden. The barn comprises two ground-level rooms (10ft x 10ft and 15ft x 10ft). Each of the downstairs rooms has a pair of old double barn doors made out of wood. There are no windows in any part of the building. Upstairs is under the pitch of the roof and is only any good for storage as the ridge height is only 1.5m, so you can’t stand upright.
The barn currently has an electrical connection with lights and power. There is NO sewer connection or running water.
I currently use the barn as a glorified shed, but this seems like a waste as I have a double garage which I don’t use and which could be used for that purpose.
I would therefore like to convert the barn into a games room and small gym. I would like to do the following:
- Complete rewire by qualified electrician (all certified). Include provision for a couple of electric room heaters.
- Concrete screed to level downstairs floor – probably with a layer of damp proofing whilst I’m at it
- Batten, insulate and plasterboard the downstairs walls
- Replace the two sets of double doors with traditional hardwood glazed double doors
- Leave the loft area as it is, but insulate the loft area (as you would a normal house)
The barn will have NO kitchen and NO connection to the main sewer as this would involve digging a 200ft trench down my beautiful garden! As a compromise (cheap and cheerful), I am considering running a hosepipe underground to the end of the garden (I can bury it under the flower beds down the side). This would take a feed from the cold water supply which runs through the garage. I’d like to put a simple tap and sink in one corner of the barn, with drainage out to the existing soakway used by the guttering on the pitched roof. All that this sink would be used for is to rinse hands, fill a bucket etc. The amount of waste water would be tiny and nothing compared to the amount of water that must flow into the soakaway when it rains hard. Would this be acceptable, or would it require proper drainage in order to comply with regs? It’s not a show stopper if I can’t do this – two rooms with no water would be OK. It’s just a simple thought I had.
Assuming the converted building is classified as a games room, I do not believe I need planning permission. Of course, I will need to get the electrics certified (part p etc). What about building regulations? Are there any rules for outbuildings like this, or is it a case of “do it to the standards you want”? As you can see I am planning to insulate the building as much as possible, but I doubt that it will come up to full residential standards (I am not, for example, planning on insulating the floor).
In the back of my mind I want to do it “properly” so that if, in the future, I wanted to turn it into a full blown annexe (which would need planning permission) I would have the right starting point.
My understanding is that permission is only required if the converted building could be used as a standalone dwelling. To be used in this way it would require a kitchen and bathroom, neither of which this building will have.
I would really welcome your thoughts.
Thanks so much,
Ed
