Learn When And Why You Should Apply For Garden Planning Permission
If you’re thinking of adding in a garden shed, or paving your front garden, you may or may not need garden planning permission. Knowing the difference can save you a lot of money and hassle when you find out before installing new garden features.
Prepare a plan
It is always a good idea to have clearly drawn up plans of your proposed structure. You can draw these yourself, if you are able to draw building plans. Otherwise, pre-made plans make a great option. These come with a list of materials and a cutting guide. Kits are another great option, and come with pre-cut materials. Using tools like these will help to ensure that your shed or garden structure lasts for years to come. It is also a great help for securing a permit if need be, as buildings that come with thorough plans are more likely to be granted building permission.
Greenhouses and sheds
For the average shed or similar structure, you won’t need to get a special building permit. There are various guidelines that will tell you if you are right to build without permission. Often this means that the building cannot be more than 80 to 100 square feet big, and cannot be more than 3 meters high. Contacting your local council before you build, and they can advise you as to whether you need a permit.
When you might need a permit
There are some circumstances where a building permit is called for. In cases where more than half of your garden will be covered by outbuildings, many councils will require you to apply for a permit first. This may also be true if your planned building will be close to footpaths and roads. Just check with the local authorities before building to see if there are any restrictions that you need to take into consideration.
Buildings in national parks or other protected areas, and those with a heritage listing will need to seek information on what permissions are necessary to build on the property. This also applies to buildings that are open plan.
For those who are planning to pave your front garden or driveway, you will need permission from your council unless you’re using materials such as gravel, permeable concrete or porous asphalt. This is because large paved areas in the front garden can drastically increase the amount of rain water flowing into drains. This often leads to flooding, as public drainage systems were not designed to cope with such situations.
Check in with your local council
Those who are contemplating putting up a new structure in their yard should contact their local council for advice on garden planning permission, regulations and guidelines. The last thing you want is to invest time, money and effort into putting up a new shed only to be asked to remove or significantly modify it.
Want to know if you need garden planning permission? Or if you can do without it? At the Clearance Paving site, you can learn more about garden planning permission or for procuring materials for paving.
