Big Shed

[thesurfbus]

My double garage is overflowing with cars, bikes, spares, tools etc. and I am thinking of building a large shed to house some of the stuff.
Behind my double garage, there is a space the size of another double garage, it currently has a shed and greenhouse, but thinking of building a large shed in the space.
Looking at the building regs, I don't think I would need any planning as long as it was under 30m2.
It needs to be solid and secure, and it would be good if it didn't look like a shed, i.e. more of a garden office style.
Does anyone have any experience of building a quality shed? Any ideas/suggestions?

[j2 lot]

Have a look at 'George Clarkes Amazing Spaces' on catch up (ch4?) - now and again you get some really good tips for creating man caves and the like
A lot of the creations cost big bucks but there are some inspirational use of portakabins, shipping containers and the like to create high end garden rooms and home offices.

[les]

you also need to be more than 1m from any boundary and less than 30m2 including any recesses such as door frame etc.

[thesurfbus]

I was looking at this document http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc ... 092098.pdf
with the following extract

"b) A detached single-storey building having an area exceeding 8 square metres
but not exceeding 30 square metres, ancillary to and within the garden of a
house, provided that the building:
• is at least 1 metre from the house, or is closer than 1 metre to the house but
is at least 1 metre from any boundary.
• does not contain a fixed solid fuel, oil or gas appliance
• does not contain a sanitary fitting
For example, the construction of a detached shed, detached carport, or
detached garage."

What does the 1st bullet point mean, that as long as its 1m from the house then it can be less than 1m from the boundary?

[les]

other way about, needs to be 1m from the boundary regardless and ideally 1m from the house

[bertieduff]

• is at least 1 metre from the house, or is closer than 1 metre to the house but
is at least 1 metre from any boundary.
[/i]

What does the 1st bullet point mean, that as long as its 1m from the house then it can be less than 1m from the boundary?

Best to check with the Building Standards Dept. at the Council. It's to prevent potential fire spread between closely-grouped adjacent buildings. Most authorities interpret the above as meaning you can build up to the boundary as long as it's 1m or more from the house, in my experience. If you don't meet this, it's not to say you can't do it, but you would need to make an application, which is just time/expense/hassle, and there would be some restrictions (e.g. walls/roofs needing to be fire protected, non-combustible etc.)
The above stuff you quote is to do with Building Warrant. You might also need Planning Permission though, depending upon location, how much of your land is already 'developed' (out-buildings, house, patios, decks and hard-standing all count). Again, best to have a chat with someone helpful from the Planning Department.
Lots of companies out there that do off-the-shelf stuff, depending on your requirements.

[thesurfbus]

Its probably 4m from the house, but would be adjacent to the garage, currently have a shed and greenhouse in the space that are adjacent to the garage and the boundary and have been there for 10 years. This new shed will cost a few quid so want to make sure I don't fall foul of any regulations.

[Mikie711]

A quick search throws up the following;

You will not require planning permission, provided that:

the new building is not used as a separate dwelling
the building would not be positioned forward of the principal elevation or side elevation of the existing house which fronts a road
the building does not exceed four metres in height from ground level
the height of the eaves (where the roof meets the top of the wall) of the building does not exceed three metres from ground level
no part of the building within one metre of the boundary with a neighbouring property would exceed 2.5 metres in height
the area of ground covered by development (including the proposed building, any previous extensions to the house and any other buildings, but not the original house) in either the front or back garden is no more than half the area of that part of the garden.

If you live in a conservation area, you will require planning permission for these works if the new building exceeds four square metres in area.

A building warrant may be required for some of the works in this class.

We looked at this in detail recently as we planned to build a new garage in our back garden and it isn't nearly as simple as the above suggests. My advice is draw a sketch of what you propose and go along to your local planning office and discuss it with them. Alternatively email them on their inquiry page.