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Is planning permission is required to convert a detached garage
Hi all, Does anyone know if planning permission is required to convert a detached garage to add a utility room and bathroom in Trafford area? It’s a flat roof Garage and detached from house but attached to neighbour’s garage. It’s walls are single bricked and roof has beams visible. I would like to add insulation to walls and roof and then plaster and add laminate flooring.
I am not going to change the roof or increasing the size of garage. But would like to replace front garage gate (opening on my driveway) to a matching brick wall with window or cladding.
Does it comes under changing the front of the property and will need planning permission? I called Trafford council to ask all this but they said to check online. I can’t find much information on their website. I emailed them and they sent generic response (copied below). According to their Self Assessment form, i think planning permission is not needed as I am not increasing height or size of garage. It doesn’t say anything about detached or attached garage laws. Or garage gate replacing with bricks and matching window to fill. Or adding a bathroom and utility sink is permitted or not.
When entering my property address in their link https://pa.trafford.gov.uk/online-applications/
it shows these constraints (screenshot attached). Does it suggest anything not permitted? I am looking to convert it only if it’s permitted development. Please advise if anyone has any knowledge about it? Thanks.
Email Response from Trafford:
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm whether your proposal requires planning permission as we no longer provide free advice to requests of this nature. The Trafford website now contains some useful tools which will enable you to assess the need for planning permission yourself. There is a suite of self assessment forms – Self-assessment for householder planning permission | Trafford Council which covers all types of proposed work such as extensions, porches, outbuildings etc. These forms ask a series of structured questions which enable you to determine if permission is required.
I’ve attached a link below to the self-assessment form for outbuildings, that you require.
Self Assessment Form A Do I Need Planning Permission For An Alteration or Extension Attached To My House
It is also important to check whether permitted developmennt rights have been removed from your propery. To find out whether PD rights have been removed through a planning application at the site, please visit the public access by following the link below and typing the address into the search bar.
https://pa.trafford.gov.uk/online-applications/
Please note, however, there is a borough wide article 4 direction that removes permitted development rights for changes of use from dwellings to small Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). You would therefore be required to submit a planning application in order to change the property to a HMO. More information on this can be found at the following link:
Article 4 Directions | Trafford Council
It is also important to check if your proposal will require Building Regulations approval. Work may require Building Regulations approval even if planning permission is not required. Information is also available on the Planning Portal website and you can contact the Building Control service if you require any clarification.
For peace of mind and confirmation that planning is not required, you can apply for a Certificate of Lawful Development. Please follow these links for further information:
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/…/guidance_note-lawful…
I hope this helps.
Screenshot:
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6 Replies
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Yes you do need planning permission and building control from your local authorities..
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As you are converting garage to a living space adding bathroom etc . You need to have proper cavity walls insulated ceiling & floor etc. check this out for an idea .
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We’ve just done drawings for one and generally speaking they fall under PD rights. If you’re very very picky, however, building regs will be required as you’ll be installing controlled services (water and electricity), and therefore you’ll need to comply with building regs. I would do this through a building notice but if they’re picky they’ll ask you to comply with part L as well and the only realistic way of doing that on a flat roof is insulating above the roof, therefore you’ll actually be making it slightly higher.
PD rights doesn’t allow you to alter an outbuilding to make it higher, so if you take everything to the letter you would actually need planning… In any case I wouldn’t do planning, I would apply for s certificate of lawfulness and I would draw the roof slightly higher hoping for the best but planning for the worst. If you get your certificate happy days, if not you now know for certain the council has a problem for that and you’ll have wasted 150-200 quid, and then you apply for planning but you have the drawings already. For building control I would never recommend this to our clients but I would contact a couple of private companies and I would ask hoping they don’t make me comply with part L (insulation) as there is no sleeping accomodation. You should comply with it but some inspectors either have no clue or are happy to look the other way… Another option is to apply for planning directly, more expensive but most councils don’t reject anything that would fall under permitted development rights in any case.
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Thank you for the reply. Have you done the drawings for someone in Trafford for the garage to include a bathroom and utility sink. What was the response from council? A builder told that he fill insulation inside in the gaps between beams. Will that not comply with part L? And does replacing garage gate with bricks and cladding / window means the external of the building is changed and hence planning permission?
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we haven’t done anything in Trafford. Filling the beams with insulation might achieve the required u-vale for insulation, but you will also need to provide ventilation between top of the insulation and the roof finish (50mm gap) as per BS5250. To do that in a flat roof is an absolute nightmare as you need to ventilate through the fascia and, depending on the direction of the joists, there won’t be continuity of ventilation. Another issue is that if you leave 50mm gap for ventilation purposes, then you’re left with no joist depth for the rest of the insulation. Much easier to insulate above joists and forget about the rest. That’s why I’m suggesting to approach a private inspector maybe, to comply with building regs fully is a nightmare sometimes and a minefield, and depending on what you’re doing the budget just skyrockets for a simple utility.
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In many cases a garage conversion does not need planning permission if the size and height are not increased.
However, replacing the garage door with a brick wall and window will require planning.
Regardless of planning, Building Control approval will be required for insulation, ventilation, drainage, the bathroom, and the roof structure.
If you wish, I can help check whether planning is needed and prepare drawings for planning and building control, as well as coordinate with relevant consultant.
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