PLANNING PERMISSION,ANNEXE

[markbrick1]

hi all,
being in the building trade for a long time but a general enquiry we get is...how many legal annexes can a property have in its curtilage,as down here people seem to like there annexes
most annexes are a distance from the highway and are of single storey usely brick block or stone outouses or garages,
atb mark

 

[RedHerring2]

I think the last time I looked it up, it was something like; you can cover up to 50% of the garden with sheds, garages, etc before PP is required as long as other conditions were met such as proximity to boundaries, construction materials, height, areas of Natural Beauty, etc.

This does not reflect the requirements of Building Regulations, that's different.

 

[markbrick1]

thankyou,
so i presume theres no law on to how many annexes you can have,
ive got 2 and a cottage was wondering if calling one a hunting lodge would be more favourable with the planners?

 

[^woody^]

What stops multiple extensions is the fact that everything looks tacked on and the original building gets lost in some horrible mess of randomly cobbled together bricks and tiles - and his will not be acceptable to planners

You can call them what you like, but in planning terms they are all called "extensions"

 

[markbrick1]

its not calling what you like it whats legal and not legal,all i asked was how many legal annexes can be allowed on 1 property is there a specific number,

 

[RedHerring2]

From memory, you can have as many sheds/huts/garages/workshops as you want as long as you don't cover more than 50% of the original land around the original porperty.
There may be other restrictions also.

As soon as any one building is more than 30 metres² it is subject to Building Control.
There are other instances when it may require Building Control.

This page probably sums up PP and BC best:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings

 

[^woody^]

its not calling what you like it whats legal and not legal,all i asked was how many legal annexes can be allowed on 1 property is there a specific number,

"was wondering if calling one a hunting lodge would be more favourable with the planners?

 

[markbrick1]

should be they favour sporting events,lol
a gym over a shed

 

[RedHerring2]

As long as you stay within PD you can call your annexes anything you like, call them palaces if it suits. The planners won't even be asking, as long as you stay within PD.

BC may be more interested if the building is subject to BC.
If you call a shed your 'garden hideaway' and it has habitable accomodation, there'll be a problem if BC are not involved.

 

[markbrick1]

thankyou,
but bc isnt subject to agricultural buildings so a tractor store for a quad or an agricultural machine is excempt from building,right???

 

[RedHerring2]

You might need to seek clarification 'cos in my opinion, having looked at the definitions I would suggest a tractor/quad store is still a garage ( a small detached building).

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/pe...regulations/approvalneeded/exemptions/classvi

Agricultural buildings are primarily for keeping of animals or growing things:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/pe...egulations/approvalneeded/exemptions/classiii

Another complication is that some buildings may be exempt from only part of the regulations:
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/pe...buildingregulations/approvalneeded/exemptions

For clarification on Building regulations just call your local BC. If it's a rural area they'll be upto speed on exemptions etc. If you live in an urban area you might get some "oooh's" and "aaah's", or even an "I'll get back to you on that"

At the end of the day, it might come down to what the building was intended for, rather than what it's used for now. But PP may be required for a change of use and with that may come BC requirements.
Or naybe a barn is a barn.
But if your land is not currently designated as agricultural land you may need PP to erect an agricultural building 'cos it could be construed as a change of use.

See para 2.1 page 8 of the following:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/143516.pdf

See also para 2.7: PD rights do not exist for agricultural use near to residential or similar buildings.

Finally consult your local planning and BC for final clarification.
It's better to be sure than to have to dismantle your building, wasting your time, money, upsetting neighbours etc.

 

[markbrick1]

thankyou you seem to be very helpfull,
also i have a holiday let not seen from the road which i applied for planning on to extend last yr and got it,
i then decided to split it into 2 not altering it externally,now enforcement have come down on me will it be ok to split it or shall i have to keep it just 1,
atb mark

 

[RedHerring2]

Planning Permission is granted on the plans that you submit. If you then vary from those plans you no longer have PP for that development. Sometimes a simple variation from the PP is accepted but you do need to submit your request and have it approved in writing. Usually no charge is required for this.
For instance, a minor re-orientation of a building might be an acceptable case, or a minor adjustment of a door/window position. You must submit your approved plan with your required alteration clearly marked. It will be accepted or rejected in writing.

You should have phoned them, submitted your variation, waited for approval before continuing. Or gone along with your original PP remit.

As for what you must do now, well you could ask if an application for a "Certificate of Lawfulness" is likely to succeed. (It's like a retrospective PP application because your original does not apply) But that's what you need now to avoid further action. There is a cost involved, whereas a minor/simple variation to PP does not involve cost.

I assume that your original PP is still active for one holiday dwelling.

 

[markbrick1]

thankyou,
i was granted permision for 1 let in 2002 but applied for an extension in 2009 which doubled it in size and allowed it to have 2 kitchens etc hence i made it into 2 places

 

[hotrod]

was granted permision for 1 let in 2002 but applied for an extension in 2009 which doubled it in size and allowed it to have 2 kitchens etc hence i made it into 2 places

You are assuming that the fact you have been given permission to build an extension, and that the existing building now incorportates 2 kitchens gives you permission to use it as 2 separate dwellings. As Bronski Beat once lamented, "Ain't necessarily so".