We have an integral garage and I wish to replace the door with a window and brickwork under the window.
The garage is only used as a storage. Do I need planning permission? FL
We speak to an expert about whether you need planning permission to alter the door of an integral garage
MailOnline Property expert Myra Butterworth replies: It is uncommon for people to use their garage to house their cars nowadays. Instead, they tend to be used for storage.
If you’re looking to convert your garage into an extra living space, you’ll need to check several planning issues first to find out if it is possible.
For example, the council may prevent you from converting your garage if it reduces the space for cars and there is a parking problem in your area.
We speak to planning expert Martin Gaine for his views on what may be possible regarding the changes to your integral garage.
Planning expert Martin Gaine says converting an integral garage into a second living room or a home office is an excellent, and low-cost, way of expanding your living space
Martin Gaine, a chartered town planner, replies: Very few people use their garages for parking cars anymore – they are too small to fit larger vehicles and who needs the hassle of jumping in and out of the car to open and close the garage door every door you want to go somewhere?
But it is a waste to use them just for storage, and converting an integral garage into a second living room or a home office is an excellent, and low-cost, way of expanding your living space.
Post-war planners were sometimes so car obsessed that, when granting planning permission for new houses with integral garages, they imposed planning conditions to say that planning permission must be obtained before converting them
Integral garages are a feature of 1970s housing estates.
Back then, the planners were pro-car and insisted that every house had at least two parking spaces.
Bringing one of those spaces into the building and therefore reducing the amount of land taken up by cars meant that more houses could be squeezed onto each site, increasing developers’ profits.
In most cases, it is permitted development (meaning that planning permission is not required) to convert a garage into living space. You can remove the garage door, brick up the opening and add a front window without needing to approach the planners.
But be careful! As ever, there are grey areas in planning. Post-war planners were sometimes so car obsessed that, when granting planning permission for new houses with integral garages, they imposed planning conditions to say that planning permission must be obtained before converting them.
This was because they were concerned that garage conversions would reduce parking capacity and cause parking problems on the street.
Post-war planners sometimes imposed planning conditions to say that planning permission must be obtained before converting the garage
Checking with the council
Councils also have the power to introduce what are called ‘Article 4 directions’ to remove specific permitted development rights. If the council believes that your area has an ongoing parking problem, it may use such a direction to remove your right to convert your garage.
If you are in a conservation area or if the houses are particularly attractive, the council might decide that garage conversions would be ugly and harm the appearance of the area. In those circumstances, they might also introduce an Article 4 direction to stop garage conversions.
In other words, you cannot be sure that your house has this particular permitted development right. To check, contact your local council and ask them. You can also check to see if there is a reference to it in the legal pack that was prepared when you bought your house.
As with any works you want to do under permitted development, the safest thing to do is to apply to the council for a ‘lawful development certificate’, to confirm that what you are proposing does not need planning consent.
If you ever sell, you can provide the certificate to your buyer as evidence that the works were lawful. Most importantly, it reduces the risk of planning enforcement action – if you convert the garage unlawfully, the council could demand that the works be reverted.
When you need to apply for planning permission
If your permitted development rights have been removed for some reason, that does not mean that you cannot convert your garage, it simply means that you must first apply for planning permission.
That means drawing up some plans, filling out a form and paying the appropriate fee. Before applying, contact the council or a planning consultant for advice on whether permission might be granted – there is no point in applying if the council is determined that garages in your area should not be converted!
A good way to get a sense of whether garage conversions are possible is to take a walk around the neighbourhood and see how many of your neighbours have already done them.
If they are a common feature, it is highly likely that they are permitted development and that you can do the same. If very few of your neighbours have carried them out, I would be very cautious about proceeding without some further research.
Martin Gaine is a chartered town planner and author of ‘How to Get Planning Permission – An Insider’s Secrets
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
