U.K. building regs - summerhouse boundary question

[Davey123]

hi all,

First post so apologies if I have done anything incorrectly in asking this question here! Could do with some thoughts/advice on the below, so huge thank you in advance for anyone kind enough to provide their opinions!

my wife and I saw an off-the-shelf summerhouse (log cabin type affair) and decided we wanted to go ahead with it in the garden of our house (a semi detached on the outskirts of London). The garden is about 30m long and 6.5m wide. The summerhouse we chose (but have not bought yet) is 5.5m wide and 4m deep... It has an apex roof which tops out at 3.5m high... Because of the height (being over 2.5m and within 2m of each boundary) we bought drawings and went through the planning permission process. This was all approved and planning permission has been granted. But it appears we had failed to take into account building regs... Our plans look like they would fall foul of these regs as they leave only half a meter between the building and the boundaries, rather than the 1m required when building with combustible material.... We have not engaged the building regs folks at the local authority as yet.

Does anyone have any advice as to how we could proceed? My concern is that if we do begin the process with building regs there will be no flexibility and we will be forced to choose a thinner summerhouse which leaves the 1m either side, or build the side walls out of something non combustible (rebuild rendering the granted planning permission invalid).. So, do you think there is any chance there will some flexibility? Any way around the 1m rule (fire retardant paint maybe?), or any way to avoid having to even inform the building regs people?

Any thoughts/advice greatly appreciated!
Thanks

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Millions of people appear to build conventional timber sheds right on the boundary with no consideration for this rule and Building Control do not seem bothered. Personally I just wouldn't bother.

 

[tony1851]

+1 to the above.
Just think how many old timber garages and sheds there are leaning against boundary fences up and down the country.
Chances are, Building Control won't get to know, and after a year has elapsed there's nothing they could do about it anyway.

 

[Davey123]

Thank you both for your comments. Given we have been through planning permission with the local authority, submitting plan drawings etc (which show the boundary gaps), do you not think this will now hit building control's radar anyway? Without me contacting them? I would have thought they see all planning permission approvals, and if not contacted re building regs, would likely hunt you down to review the build!

Also, if we do skip the building control part, and we come to sell the house in 5+ years time (hypothetically), is this as bad as not having had planning permission in the first place? just wondering what happens at point of sale in this scenario....

Thanks again

 

[tony1851]

In many local authorities, Planning- and Building Regs depts are separate bodies, even though in the same building or even the same open-plan office. Not saying they don't communicate, but more often than not, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
When you come to sell, most solicitors are clueless about planning and building regs matters; but for a detached single-storey building like yours, most would say that a planning permission is more important than a building regs certificate. Planning deals with the principle, building regs only with the detail.

 

[pilsbury]

I bet most people buying your house would think the summerhouse is an added benefit. If the solicitors kick up a stink about regs, tell them you can take it down no problem. I'm sure it will soon be a non issue after that.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

As mentioned a year on it's immune from any action so a buyer would have to be stupid to make an issue of it.

 

[Ravvles]

Hi Davey,

Your problem is going to be that your building is made of a combustible material and is over 15m2 internally and within a 1 meter of a boundary, therefore it does not comply with building regulations. I am also in exactly the same predicament at the moment! I'm looking to sell my house and the buyers solicitors are asking questions and I'm pretty sure they are going to ask about building regs soon which I'm going to be in a tough situation!

Andy