CHECKING IF YOU HAVE ‘PD’ RIGHTS

THE STARTING POINT

Sometimes Planning Permission is needed for ANY Garden Room. Its height, footprint, design, use and position are not relevant for this initial check.

Most people seem to be aware that Listed Buildings, flats and maisonettes etc don’t have ‘Permitted Development’ rights for outbuildings. However, do you know that standard houses often don’t have them either ?

When we see adverts claiming that “PLANNING PERMISSION IS NOT REQUIRED” in big bold letters, we always think about Article 4s and Planning Conditions straight away. The headline always states that Permission is not needed because the building has a maximum height of 2.5m but there are so many other rules to adhere to.

If the customer doesn’t check that their property has its ‘Permitted Development’ (PD) rights intact, this claim can be extremely problematic later down the line as there is no ‘fallback’ position.

We have completed many checks over the years and regularly come across circumstances where PD rights have been withdrawn. It can come as quite a surprise to our clients because they haven’t ever seen the documents before. The findings can affect installation dates etc and so carrying out this research before you sign any contract is always worthwhile.

If you’re thinking of a Garden Room project for next Spring, our first recommendation would be to check for site-specific restrictions now so you have plenty of time to obtain Planning Permission if it is necessary. If you would like help, either with the PD check or the Application itself, please get in touch.