Planning Permission surrounding a garden shed

There is planning guidance for all aspects of property development and sheds are no exception. As with all guidance there are exceptions generally around specific locations i.e. National parks, areas of significant national interest and also listed buildings. The rules on these areas will need to be looked at on a case by case basis, but the vast majority of projects fall under general planning guidelines.

Generally, for sheds, the guidelines say that as long as certain criteria are met then no planning permission will be required. The term permitted development means no planning permission is needed.

The guidelines set out below are taken from the planning portal website and are quite simple and easy to understand.

Rules governing outbuildings apply to sheds, playhouses, greenhouses and garages as well as other ancillary garden buildings such as: swimming pools, ponds, sauna cabins, kennels, enclosures (including tennis courts) and many other kinds of structure for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwelling house.

Outbuildings are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:

• No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation
• Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof
• Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwelling house
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms (a platform must not exceed 0.3 metres in height)
• No more than half the area of land around the “original house”* would be covered by additions or other buildings
• In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from the house to be limited to 10 square metres
• On designated land** buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission
• Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission

*The term “original house” means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.

**Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.

To summarise

A shed, if built in a modular way without foundations, is classed as a temporary structure (in the event it is removed the ground it stood on will return to its original state).

You do not need planning permission under normal circumstances so long as:

1. The maximum height is 2.5m (if within 2m of the boundary) and 4m (if beyond 2 m of the boundary)
2. No verandas, balconies or raised platforms
3. You cannot put it in front of the house
4. It, together with other additions, cannot take up more than half the original ground around the house
5. The project is not going to be used as living accommodation

Of all the conditions above the one that seems to cause the most concern is a veranda as different planning authorities have different definitions of what a veranda is.

As with most things, if you want to be sure it is best to contact your local planning department.