Planning Permission for Garden Rooms

Before deciding upon the style and size of the garden room you want, it is a good idea to ensure you either have the necessary shed planning permission, or that you do not need it.

On the whole, the regulations are simple common sense; whatever you build in your garden must not detract from the quality of the environment in your area. However, there may be factors that you have not considered, and mistakes could prove to be costly.

The Planning and Development Act 2000 and its later amendments cover all aspects of the necessary permissions for garden rooms, and it can be downloaded at no cost from The Department of Housing’s Website, www.gov.ie/housing. There is also a very useful leaflet: https://www.opr.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Planning-Leaflet-8-A-Guide-to-Doing-Work-Around-the-House.pdf

The maximum size for a new garden room without planning permission is twenty five square metres, provided this also leaves a minimum of twenty five square metres of the garden free of constructions. This means that if you already have a garage or shed taking up space in the garden, you will have to take them into consideration. For a garden room with a pitched roof, the maximum height is four metres; for a flat roof, it is three.

If your garden room is to be constructed on the side of or behind your house, you probably will not need shed planning permission. You will if it is in front of the house, or if it extends beyond the front wall.

The Act also looks at how your garden room will affect your neighbours. It would always be a good idea to discuss your plans, even if only to be on friendly terms with them, and there are regulations, too. You may not have a window within a metre of your neighbour’s property, for example, and you should also consider whether your garden room might make it easier for a thief to access their house or land. The garda can help with advice here.

Try to ensure that your new garden room blends in with the house. Fortunately, C & S Sheds have such a wide range of finishes and colour schemes in their range of buildings that this will not be a problem.

A garden room, under the terms of The Act, must be intended as an extension of the house, a room as a home office, for parties or other social occasions; it must not be used as living accommodation. In the event of a fire, for example, the emergency services might not be aware of a separate building in which people might be in danger.

Check whether your planned garden room needs shed planning permission, and, if in doubt, ask your local planning authority. After that, leave it to C & S Sheds. They will provide you with a superb garden room, constructed of modern materials but using traditional Irish craftsmanship, and erected by experienced professionals.

Take out the worries first by looking at the planning regulations. Then leave it to C & S Sheds.

Then relax. It’s great. It’s just what you wanted, and you’ve been a good neighbour and a good citizen.