Council PP bods just strong-armed their way into my house...

[King Herald]

Well, not really, they knocked on the door and asked if they could check out my garage. They showed proper ID and were very pleasant throughout.

I'm on the other side of the world working, but my wife tells me they measured it all up and asked a few questions, mentioned that they'd heard that "your husband builds hot rods here doesn't he?".

They also mentioned that I'd never applied for Planning Permission. Nope, doesn't need it.

Wifey told them I'm building one hot rod, singular.

They measured it all up and told my wife that it was all in order, but when they measured it as 8.7 metres from our attached garage he made some mention that there was a problem with it, but my wife can't remember exactly what he said.

So, what is the deal with the 8.7 metres? I thought it had to be at least 5 metres from the main house? it is basically concrete and tile construction, just under 30sq metres area, less than 4 metres to the roof.

I'm assuming someone has complained, citing me running a hot rod business from my garage. But I'm not, it's just a hobby.

[Defcon5]

How did they even know it was there?

//Looks shiftily over fence at neighbours...

[Arese]

Worst look-how-cool-as-f*ck-my-garage-is thread, ever.

I wish I had a garage

[johnfm]

Does it qualify as permitted develpment? I assume you didn't get planning, but you need to check th PD requirements and make sure you haven't already used the pd rights elsewhere ie a conservatory.

[Burnham]

Its not imposing on anyone.. Just what is the fking problem with some people?

Don't let it get you down..looks like a lovely garage to me.
What are you building (singular)?

[staceyb]

How far is it away from your land boundary?

[Fruitcake]

Go to the Planning Portal and look at the model house. You'll find all the info you need there.

HTH.

[King Herald]

johnfm said:

Does it qualify as permitted develpment? I assume you didn't get planning, but you need to check th PD requirements and make sure you haven't already used the pd rights elsewhere ie a conservatory.

I phoned the council three years ago, asked about PP, and they arranged for one of their bods to call me to discuss it. We spent 30 minutes on the phone, he had the map of the property to refer to, and he basically told me I could build anything I wanted, out of any material, as long as it was not bigger than 50% of the size of the garden, and was more than 5 metres from the main house.

I asked if they could send me a letter confirming that, and three months later (after a bit of a drama due to a road running down the back of the house) they sent me the letter.

Burnham said:

Its not imposing on anyone.. Just what is the fking problem with some people?

Don't let it get you down..looks like a lovely garage to me.
What are you building (singular)?

That's what bugs me, its been there two years with no problems. Plus I spent over a grand putting a proper tile roof on, rather than cheap-as-chips tin, just to make it blend in. I still need to put cladding on the gable ends though.

My current project is a 'glass 32 Ford. Been on it 1 1/2 years, and no way in a million years could I ever sell it for more than it's costing me to build, so as a 'business' it is a total non-starter.

My last hot rod took 3 years, and I sold that for less than the sum of the parts, without even looking at my own labour.

[normalbloke]

I'm loving the random leather office chair in the first shot...

[al1991]

Can't really help with the topic of the thread but that's a nice garage. I don't really understand how anyone could find it offensive.

[Cotty]

King Herald said:

My current project is a 'glass 32 Ford.

Looks stock height as well. Going against the chopped look of old, more head room.

Im thinking Rod Line International body?

Sorry can't help on the garage front.

[scotal]

Someone's complained, got any new neighbours? Fallen out with anyone local?
Anybody who doesn't like loud cars in your vicinity?

Make sure you have that letter to hand, I suspect its going to be very valuable to you.

[King Herald]

Cotty said:

King Herald said:

My current project is a 'glass 32 Ford.

Looks stock height as well. Going against the chopped look of old, more head room.

Im thinking Rod Line International body?

Sorry can't help on the garage front.

The body is an early eighties Jago, kinda rough, but they didn't have much to work with back then. The car was apparently built as a kit car in '85, did very few miles, sat on blocks until I bought it. I'm just giving it a 'make over' as our American brethren would say.

I decided to leave the roof stock height, like you say, more head room and comfort.

[Fish]

Looks fine to me as lon as you haven't had permitted rights removed. THe key points from memory and after wine are;

More than 1m meter from boundary
No nearer the highway (unless more than 25m away)
Eves less than 2m (maybe2.1m Can't remeber)
Ridge less than 4m
To the rear of the property

Doesn't look a problem to me.Can't remember the size rule for a garage but looks fine.

Probebly just neighbours who aren't into cars.

Quite fancied a rod one day..

Have fun

[CedGTV]

Good evening your maj,

I do hope you get the garage problem sorted, I couldn't think of anything more irritating than getting it up and running only to find it "could be" a problem. Hope it works out, seriously.

One thing, why sell the hard work, and a labour of love for less than it's worth.

Fair play to you mate, I couldn't do it. Build it that is.

[308mate]

Was someone offering a job-lot of caged trampolines?

Nice garage.

[cazzer]

If yer gonna have a garage in yer back garden, you might as well really piss the neighbours off

No its not mine.

[Merlot]

cazzer said:

If yer gonna have a garage in yer back garden, you might as well really piss the neighbours off

No its not mine.

Can't quite work out if that is sad or awesome!

[King Herald]

Fish said:

Looks fine to me as lon as you haven't had permitted rights removed. THe key points from memory and after wine are;

More than 1m meter from boundary
No nearer the highway (unless more than 25m away)
Eves less than 2m (maybe2.1m Can't remeber)
Ridge less than 4m
To the rear of the property

Doesn't look a problem to me.Can't remember the size rule for a garage but looks fine.

Probebly just neighbours who aren't into cars.

Quite fancied a rod one day..

Have fun

I've not heard of the 2m eves rule? The ridge is less than 4 metres though.

And there was an issue with the road, as there's a road at the rear of the property, but you have to cross someone else's garden to get there. That was discussed on the phone during the original discussion, and deemed not to be a problem, as long as our garden did not access the actual road directly. It doesn't.

Two months passed and I had to remind them about the 'no Planning Permission needed' letter, and they then told me they'd need to send a guy round to measure some stuff and check into the road issue again. WTF????

I then gave them a ration, as I'd already spent £2k on foundations and base. They then conceded and gave me the letter, with the clause: 'as long as the garage is not nearer to any road than the main house'. Which is stupid, as any road north of the garage is closer to the garage than our feckin' house is.

I found out afterwards I could have asked for a 'LPD'. License for Permitted Development, but nobody mentioned that when I was asking about the letter.

[King Herald]

I just saw this legislation on the Planning Portal site, but it appears to be newly written in October 2008, so I should be okay as I started building in 2006.

Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.

Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse.