Planning permission - Garage in front garden

Planning permission - Garage in front garden

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elliot_holder

Original Poster:

200 posts

188 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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Hi all,

Hoping for a bit of guidance from anyone who's previously managed to get planning permission for building a new garage in front garden.

We've got a huge front garden and i'm keen to convert our existing double garage into living space and build a new garage away from the house. (See yellow square on where I'm hoping to put new garage and add a new driveway for access.

I'd like a double garage with a little extra room added either side to give space for working on cars and ideally a room above for storage or games room.

Having talked briefly to an architect who is drawing up plans for our house refurb he mentioned that the council (guildford borough) are very likely to object to building a garage in front garden as its in front of the building line.

Any guidance over what is likely to be acceptable from a council perspective re: planning.
If we're not able to build a decent garage I may well change the plans for the house as I definitely need somewhere secure to store and work on my car.


V8RX7

26,766 posts

262 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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Basically unless you can show someone else nearby has done similar / elsewhere the building line is further forward you are very unlikely to succeed.

What's the block to the left ?

Have you got any more plans / google link / driveway to the back and build one in the back garden ?

Edited by V8RX7 on Tuesday 3rd January 12:21

snotrag

14,446 posts

210 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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Interested in this as I plan on starting a similar project this year. The difference is that despite being a normal residential street, there is no clear 'building line' and all the houses are at odd angles - some other houses and exist together extensions are forward of what would be the front of my house.
Interested to see how you get on.

hkp57

285 posts

121 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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It will be a tough ask to get planning permission for a garage beyond the front aspect of the house.

It would be worth a call to the local planning officer as a courtesy if its worth while spending money on drawings, not only are you building a garage but re-designating usage of an existing garage that might fall outside of the local council housing plans.

Skyedriver

17,667 posts

281 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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I did back in 1982 but there was a similar one up the road. Garage was three parts buried, dug into an embankment which turned out to be a quarry face. So for dig out read crow bars and picks...

elliot_holder

Original Poster:

200 posts

188 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
quotequote all
V8RX7 said:
Basically unless you can show someone else nearby has done similar / elsewhere the building line is further forward you are very unlikely to succeed.

What's the block to the left ?

Have you got any more plans / google link / driveway to the back and build one in the back garden ?

Edited by V8RX7 on Tuesday 3rd January 12:21
Not sure what the block to the left was, whatever it was its long gone now. Its just have an empty field next door.

Here's a google link which shows it a bit better. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.2569905,-0.66528...

We have access via a private road to the back garden (in red to left of house), but its not of a size where we could add a garage without it being intrusive.
The front garden is huge in comparison and it would just make much more sense to have the garage there as its essentially dead space we don't use.

There are a few similar planning requests which have been approved (eventually after appeal), these are local in our village but not in our road specifically.

Would same apply if it were a wooden garage instead? I.e. Not a permanent structure?

sfella

876 posts

107 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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I have to disagree with most of the above, I had a similar situation where we had a small single garage to the side of the house but applied for a large double (it's a triple really just with two doors and a wide centre pillar) in our front garden. Our application went through without objection from neighbours or planners. We have the gable of the garage very close to the road, it is at least 20ft in front of the 'building line' and we are the only people to have done it. I find that the building line is quite old hat now and each case is taken on its own merits. Our garage is very visable and is in direct sight of at least two neighbours. I would get a plan drawn up and put it in, nothing to loose except a few £££ which you will need to spend anyway. Good luck

recordman

386 posts

124 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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I used to live in Woking and had a similar situation whereby I wanted to incorporate a built in double garage into living accommodation and then build a new double width garage in the front garden. I had no problems whatsoever.

I suggest using an architect who is familiar with your local planning dept and who has success in obtaining planning consents for similar projects. I searched through my local authority's website to look at similar applications in my area over the past couple of years and then I narrowed them down to an architect who had the greatest number of successful applications.

Chrisgr31

13,440 posts

254 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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Is that your fence? The new one? How high is it? Did it need planning permission? Anyway thats an aside, I just hate fences alongside roads!


King Herald

23,501 posts

215 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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As long as you explain to them it is going to be nicely finished, tile roof, brick walls etc, to match your house, there is no reason for anybody to complain.


Obviously a prefab with a corrugated roof won't carry.....

Highway Star

3,573 posts

230 months

Tuesday 3rd January 2017
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sfella said:
I have to disagree with most of the above, I had a similar situation where we had a small single garage to the side of the house but applied for a large double (it's a triple really just with two doors and a wide centre pillar) in our front garden. Our application went through without objection from neighbours or planners. We have the gable of the garage very close to the road, it is at least 20ft in front of the 'building line' and we are the only people to have done it. I find that the building line is quite old hat now and each case is taken on its own merits. Our garage is very visable and is in direct sight of at least two neighbours. I would get a plan drawn up and put it in, nothing to loose except a few £££ which you will need to spend anyway. Good luck
I would certainly agree with the 'each case is taken on its own merits' point, though not necessarily that the building line issue is also 'old hat', again, it comes down to the individual application.

O/P, from the Google Streetview, am I right in thinking your place is behind the large hedge and with the big tree in the front garden? And that the place with the fence is your neighbours?

If so, then your architect is right not to go all guns blazing though a new garage in your front garden would be well screened from the road and I can't see it would have an especially detrimental impact to the street scene or any neighbours. There appears to be no strong building line.

Are you in a Conservation Area? Is that tree TPO'd? I suspect not to both, but working checking. Also worth checking (or asking your architect if he/she could check) GBC's planning policy page to see if there is a local plan policy of relevance.

In short, if in doubt, call the planning department for an informal view rather than throwing £££ at it immediately as in my experience, Guildford can be a funny bunch at times.

Andehh

7,107 posts

205 months

Wednesday 4th January 2017
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You will need to call them & ask. Too many councils have too many different views on this sort of thing.

Keep in mind Guildford are the council that gridlocked half the town centre for the most under used bus lane in the country. Intelligent they are not...

elliot_holder

Original Poster:

200 posts

188 months

Wednesday 4th January 2017
quotequote all
Chrisgr31 said:
Is that your fence? The new one? How high is it? Did it need planning permission? Anyway thats an aside, I just hate fences alongside roads!
Thats next doors fence, I've got the huge hedge on left hand side.
Me too, a hedge would have been much more in keeping.

elliot_holder

Original Poster:

200 posts

188 months

Wednesday 4th January 2017
quotequote all
Highway Star said:
I would certainly agree with the 'each case is taken on its own merits' point, though not necessarily that the building line issue is also 'old hat', again, it comes down to the individual application.

O/P, from the Google Streetview, am I right in thinking your place is behind the large hedge and with the big tree in the front garden? And that the place with the fence is your neighbours?

If so, then your architect is right not to go all guns blazing though a new garage in your front garden would be well screened from the road and I can't see it would have an especially detrimental impact to the street scene or any neighbours. There appears to be no strong building line.

Are you in a Conservation Area? Is that tree TPO'd? I suspect not to both, but working checking. Also worth checking (or asking your architect if he/she could check) GBC's planning policy page to see if there is a local plan policy of relevance.

In short, if in doubt, call the planning department for an informal view rather than throwing £££ at it immediately as in my experience, Guildford can be a funny bunch at times.
Thanks, good advice.

Spot on, I've got the hedge and big tree, neighbour has the fence.

Its not a conservation area and no trees with TPO's. Garage wouldn't impact the one shown in the photo. I'll be keeping it and just having it cut back a bit. Along with the hedge it gives good screening so we cant see the road or neighbours opposite.

I'm back and forth with our architect today, so will ask him to open up conversations with the planning dept on it. His view was exactly as yours, in principle it should be do-able but it could be completely dependent on how GBC are feeling at the time of application.

elliot_holder

Original Poster:

200 posts

188 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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So, I progressed and requested some pre-application advice from Guildford Borough council.... Their comments in italic, mine in bold.

A proposed oak framed double garage with floor space within the roof forms a significantly large structure. It would have a footprint of 36 sqm built to a height of 5.2m incorporating a steep pitched roof. The scale of development is excessive and would form a prominent feature within the plot.
Excessive is slight exaggeration, my existing garage which is being turned into living space is 6x6, and I'd argue a garage of this size is in proportion with the house.

Whilst noted that there is a mature hedge line along the front boundary which would screen part of the development, a structure of this scale would still be visible from the street scene and would cause a degree of visual impact on the relatively open street scene.
Don't disagree with this one, it would be screened but potentially still visible if you look from certain angles, would argue its very minor impact if any

There is a concern over the proposal to extend the driveway to the garage. There is already a significant amount of hard standing within the plot and shared driveway to the neighbouring property and therefore any increase in hard standing would have a negative impact on the character of the plot and surrounding area.
Given 90% of our hard standing is a shared driveway which is used for access to the property I can hardly use this for parking! neighbours wouldn't be too impressed

The garage would overlook on to the drive way and front garden of the adjoining property and the front gardens of dwellings located on Guildford Road. Its not expected any significant overlooking concerns would be caused.
Agree, yes it would, but neighbours are OK with this

The plot contains a number of trees which could be affected by the development of the garage and driveway extension. An arboricultural assessment and statement should be carried out to ensure appropriate mitigation measures are in place.
This will impact a few small bushes, and a small immature oak tree, otherwise I cant see any trees being affected. Already agreed to have an arboricultural assessment done which will support this. Given none of the trees have a TPO I personally don't see why this is an issue, but if a report is required I'll get one

Suggested amendments: Remove the garage and driveway extension from the scheme
Not very helpful, some guidance on reducing size, location or other would have been useful given that was what I was asking for guidance on

Anyway, I can now see this being a nightmare so I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of using the various specialist planning consultancies that are out there that claim to be able to help get to a solution?

Searching google I came across the below? Anyone have any recommendations or advice?
http://www.planningdirect.co.uk/
http://afaplanningconsultants.co.uk/

V8RX7

26,766 posts

262 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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It's "usual" to remove trees before approaching the Planners.

Personally I'd do it now and throw a wagon load of planings down - that eliminates a couple of points.

Planners won't like it though.

SonicHedgeHog

2,534 posts

181 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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Look at it from the planners point of view. All the houses in your road are set well back from the road. They all have scope to do something like this. You're proposing a 36m2 building that is over 5 meters tall right next to the pavement. It's the size of a small house. If they let you have your nice oak building I'd put good money on other people in your street arguing they are entitled to build something similar out of far inferior materials. A few years down the line the look of your road has gone right downhill. If I was a planner I'd dig my heels in over this one.

sealtt

3,091 posts

157 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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I did a carport last year in the front garden, a big one at 6m x 6m exterior dimensions. Just put together a planning application myself and sent it in.

They were only concerned about the foundations injuring trees roots, no concerns about appearance. If you plant some tall shrubs in advance then on the application you can show it will mostly be hidden from pedestrian view? Just an idea.

rustyuk

4,568 posts

210 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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I'm going to be applying for this quite soon but in the Peak National Park.

quinny100

920 posts

185 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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The trees don't have a TPO on them? They might well do soon.... You say it won't affect the trees, but they'll want a big root protection area.

It's a tricky one, from their response the Planning Officer doesn't like it and will probably refuse it or do a split decision refusing the garage element.

I don't think you'll get permission for something so tall out front. If you brought the height down and with a good design you might get a single storey garage on appeal, but I'd rate your chances no better than 50/50.

You could, and probably should, do the driveway extension as permitted development first - but you'll have to use permeable paving. This removes that objection. If you'd removed the trees/shrubs that would take away another potential barrier.

What is your neighbour screening with that awful fence? That needs planning permission as its more than 1M high fronting a highway.