Got a garage and utility room built onto the side of the house by the previous owners...
Now the garage is NOT big enough for any sized car - even an original sized Mini, so why it's called a garage - I don't know...
It has a full width up and over door on it, but I would like to get rid of that, half - or slightly less that width by bricking it up with a slim width window along the top of the bricks, then installing a roller shutter door in the remaining gap...
Any idea if I'll need planning permission to do any of this, as really, it's still staying as a garage and NOT being turned into a habitable 'room'....???
Be ok with that.
Not changing use, and who says a garage as to have a big door.
I had a garage years ago to put motorcycles in, and only had a 3' door.
I fact my garage now has an 8'door and it still only has motorcyles in.
A mate has done exactly that. halved the garage door a put in a roller shutter door - which gave me the idea of doing the same - minus the motorcycles though....
Wonder if the wife will let me build a bar in there too....???
You say it's too small to be used as a garage now. If you're not changing the use, then there should be no problem unless the appearance is important for some reason or other. But if the window & roller shutter mean that the garage is changing use (it's too small, you say) yes you'll probably need planning permission and a building warrant. However, the regs have changed fairly recently to speed up the process, and I'm not actively working in that line any more so I'm not advising specifically.
The safest thing is to book an appointment with a Council planner, show them what you plan to do and then follow it up with a letter confirming that X said, on Y date, that you do not require planning permission to do Z to your garage. Keep a copy with your deeds. Otherwise, there may be trouble when it comes to selling when lawyers check documents.
I bought a flat without the correct paperwork for building work & got stung when the next purchaser's lawyer spotted missing paperwork that my lawyer (by then jailed for embezzlement) had missed. I had to put things right, cost £thousands.
I doubt that you will need planning consent, but I would definately do what Fiona W is suggesting. Take along some photos and drawings of what you propose and follow this up with a letter or email confirming what was agreed.
------------- Just saying
If all is not lost where is it then?
I also don't think you need planning permission as you're not changing use but Fiona's right, get advice. Planning laws change. I think down south planning advice is still free - ours is about to be chargeable. And hopefully you're not in a Conservation Area, Built or otherwise; if you are, seek advice as the law is different for those areas, just as they are for national parks.
------------- " When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
Just in the process of having two-thirds of what was a decent size garage converted to a utility room. I had to get a building notice for the planned work. And heres the thing, had we 'sneaked' it in without, i would have come unstuck should we ever sell.
Firstly, there would have been no official paperwork that the solicitors would have wanted to see prior to completion. And, as the rues have changed in the 8 years since the garage was built on - same anal council inspector remembering visiting at the time, knew there was no insulation on the outside wall. So that would have been illegal as well, had we winged it.
ps also fit a roller door to what is left of the garage - must be catching!
Quote: Originally posted by Mike3003 on 07/12/2017
Mmmmmm, we live in a National Park, and what a total bunch of ###%%&*, f##**#* idiots they are to deal with when it comes to planning. 😡
Don't start me off about planners.
6 applications and 2 appeals over 30 years.
Finally got permission last year.
They live on a different planet to the rest of us.
The council may class it as a change of use. By bricking up the bottom of the door you are preventing it from being used as a garage (I appreciate it was small but could have been used as for a motor bike). So even if not a habitable room it may be frowned upon. The best thing I can advise is check.
My mum had something similar done and was told she didn't need planning permission so went ahead. She was the reported to the local council who came out inspected it and advised she did need permission. Luckily she was able to obtain retrospective permission but had it been refused she could have been made to put things back to the original construction
------------- Good cakes aren't cheap. Cheap cakes aren't good
Any size of 'garage', has also to be a lower floor level to anything habitable. In case fuel leaked and got into the non-garage bit. Again, we didnt need Planning Permission, just a Building Notice. Not exactly sure of the difference, apart from measuring in pound notes handed to the council. (BN = cheaper).
Miss B, it was used for my motorbike years ago.... But might be used again for a bike...
We just feel the garage will be more secure if we just shrunk the door down to a slimmer roller shutter door, with maybe a slim horizontal window along the top...
That two thirds of door we'll lose, will then be possibly gained in bench / work space since we won't need to keep it clear for opening the full width door...