Planning Permission still needed if leaving garage door?

Question

Hi,

We have been told that we will need planning permission to convert our internal garage. If we left the garage door and some space for storage would we still need to apply for planning permission? Council useless at the moment won't give any answers or any indication.

Thanks

Answer 1

Apparently not.

"Generally speaking planning permission is not required for a Garage Conversion if the following apply:



    * No additional volume is created.

If the garage will increase in volume then it is treated as an extension if it is within 5 metres of your house"

http://www.garageconversionsuk.co.uk/Pla...

"Planning permission: we are often asked if conversions require planning permission.

Most conversions don’t require planning permission but conversions need to be checked with the local authority."

http://www.vogue-garage-conversion.co.uk...

Answer 2

In short yes. you are changing the "use" of a room from an external storage area to a living area.

My advice would be, leave the garage door on, have the work done and don’t tell the council.

Or alternatively apply for planning permission its relatively cheap (£100 if I remember correctly)

Answer 3

I know you don't need permission for internal changes/moving walls around etc, but as you are changing the use of a room different rules may apply.

If you build a 'false wall' some way back from your garage door and the garage door is still in place then the aesthetics of the building will be the same, therefore you may not need permission.

Our neighbours did this and I don't remember seeing any notices on lampposts etc.

You are best to ask a builder (even if you are doing the work yourselves) as they will be up to date with planning regulations.

On that note, Building Regs might be an issue because of all the new laws about electrics etc.

We are currently having an extension and I know the Building Inspecter said its okay to change the internal configerations of the rooms but we need to re submit if we want to change windows etc.