Detached Garage Planning Permission - Northern Ireland

Do I need Planning permission or Building Control approvals?

To help you understand these issues we detail below some of the "conditions" attached to planning permission and Building Regulations. (These apply to Northern Ireland only) Wales Scotland, England, Ireland regulations are quite different - You should in all instances take local advice.

Do I need permission for a Detached Garage?

Rules governing outbuildings apply to sheds, greenhouses and garages as well as other ancillary garden buildings such as swimming pools, ponds, sauna cabins, kennels, enclosures (including tennis courts) and many other kinds of structure for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwelling house.

Under new regulations The Planning (General Development) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 that came into effect on 6th April 2011 outbuildings are considered to be permitted development under Class D, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:

• No more than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
• No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal or side elevation of the original dwellinghouse that faces onto a road.
• Maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres within two metres of a boundary.
• Maximum overall height of four metres.
• No part of the building or enclosure would be within 3.5 metres of the boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse with a road opposite the rear wall of the dwellinghouse.
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
• It would not involve the installation, alteration or replacement of a microwave antenna.
• It would not involve development for use as a dwellinghouse.
• In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres.
• On designated land* buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.
• Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.

*The term "original house" means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 October 1973 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.

*Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.

If the work you are carrying out involves making a new access, or the alteration of an existing access to a trunk or classified road, you will need planning permission, not only for the access but also for the development.

BUILDING REGULATIONS - Northern Ireland

Domestic single storey detached garage up to 30 sq meters are exempted under Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000, the rules are listed below.

Building a detached garage up to 30 square metres floor area would not normally need building regulations approval if:

• the floor area of the detached garage is less than 15 square metres.
• the floor area of the garage is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, provided the garage is at least one metre from any boundary, or it is constructed from substantially non-combustible materials.

All garages built of brick or block walls and have a tiled roof are considered to be substantially of non-combustible material. Flat roof garages can also be substantially of non-combustible material when the roof is covered with 12.5mm limestone chippings.