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PLANNING

Planning requirements for garden rooms can vary, but our team will guide you through the process and provide all the information you need to ensure your project meets local regulations.

Planning

In many cases, planning permission is not required for garden rooms, as they often fall under permitted development—making the process quicker and more straightforward. Whether or not you need planning permission for your garden room depends on its size, location, and intended use—these factors will determine if it falls within permitted development or requires formal approval.

Permitted Development Info

What Falls Under Permitted Development for Garden Rooms?

Garden rooms often fall under Permitted Development rights, meaning you can build them without needing full planning permission—as long as certain conditions are met. Here’s what typically qualifies:

Single storey only
Maximum overall height of 2.5m if within 2 metres of a boundary
Maximum height of 4m for a dual-pitched roof (or 3m for a flat or other roof) if more than 2 metres from any boundary
No more than 50% of your total garden area (excluding the footprint of your house) can be covered by buildings
Not located in front of your home’s main front elevation
Not used as self-contained living accommodation (e.g. no bedrooms or kitchens for permanent residence)
No microwave antenna or large-scale external features
Conservation areas – garden rooms must be in the rear garden
Listed buildings – always require full planning permission
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – maximum size of 10m² and must be at least 20 metres from the house

At MBE Group, we’ll help you determine whether your garden room falls under permitted development and ensure your build remains fully compliant from start to finish.

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Permitted Development

Permitted Development (PD) refers to a set of planning rules in the UK that allow certain types of building work and home improvements to be carried out without the need for full planning permission. For garden rooms, this means you can often build without applying for planning—provided your project meets specific criteria set by your local authority.

Central Bedfordshire,Bedford,Luton,Daventry,South Northamptonshire,East Northamptonshire,Kettering,Wellingborough,Northampton,Corby,Buckinghamshire,Milton Keynes,West Oxfordshire,South Oxfordshire,Cherwell,Vale of White Horse,Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon,Rugby,North Warwickshire,Warwick,Nuneaton and Bedworth, Harborough, Melton, Hinckley and Bosworth, North West Leicestershire, Charnwood, Blaby, Leicester, Oadby and Wigston, Huntingdonshire, South Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Peterborough, Cambridge, West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire, Cherwell, Vale of White Horse, Oxford Bedford,Luton,Daventry,South Northamptonshire,Buckinghamshire,Milton Keynes,West Oxfordshire,South Oxfordshire,Kettering,Wellingborough,Northampton,Corby

Nationwide Coverage

We take great pride in our ability to cater to clients across the entirety of the United Kingdom. Our dedicated team possesses the capability to reach any location within the country within a maximum of 9 hours, ensuring prompt attention to your specific needs. When it comes to emergency call-outs, our average response time typically ranges between 1 to 3 hours, although this timeframe may vary based on the distance and complexity of the situation. Our commitment to efficiency and effectiveness remains unwavering, allowing us to deliver timely and reliable services to our valued customers.