Planning permission will probably not be required for buildings within the curtilage of an existing house provided they meet all of the conditions outlined below. Written confirmation should always be sought before carrying out work.
The new outbuilding:
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must be used for a purpose "incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse" (e.g. a garage, pigeon loft, garden hut, swimming pool, aviary stable, etc that cannot be used as an additional dwellinghouse)
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must have a restricted floor area: if the building is within 5m of the house, the floor area must not exceed 4m² (if the building is within 5m of the house and exceeds 4m², it is classed as an extension to the house and the appropriate conditions apply)
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must have a restricted ground-covering area: the total ground area covered by the proposed building and any other buildings within the curtilage of the house must not exceed 30% of curtilage, excluding the area of the original house
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must not be closer to any road than the original house, unless the building would be more than 20m from the relevant road
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must not be more than 4m in height if the building has a pitched roof
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must not be more than 3m in height if the roof is flat
If you wish to build a garage that is not within the garden ground of your house and is not on a Council designated site, Planning Permission will be required. If you live in a flat, you will always require Planning Permission to erect a garage, irrespective of its location.