Planning Permission
Our most commonly asked question: Do I need planning permission?
This is a guide to planning requirements that we have put together by product type and use for you to determine whether your proposed project will need planning permission
A Question of Planning
If you require planning permission, as a part of your application, you will require scaled floor plans, elevations and site plans which we can offer at competitive prices. Head to our Design Studio page for more information and inspiration.
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Below is some further information around planning for the different types of product that we offer. This information is in summary form and should not be considered definitive. We recommend that you also seek planning advice from you local council or engage a planning consultant. The main online government resource for planning can be found here:
Do I need planning permission for a holiday rental?
A lot of planning policy is based on the intended use of the structure. Any building that is to be rented out for commercial gain requires planning permission, so in general the answer is yes.
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We can help with planning documentation and can point you in the direction of some excellent planning consultants that we have worked with to give you the best chance of success.
Do I need planning for a mobile log cabin?
A mobile home sited in a garden is regarded as ‘chattel’ this is a movable piece of personal property. As long as you abide by the rules a mobile home (BLC Nook range) does not need planning permission.
The mobile home must be in the curtilage of your house (such as your garden), it must also be used in conjunction with (as an annexed extension to) the main house. This takes into consideration the relationship between occupants of the house, the relative size of the house, garden and mobile home, the scale of the accommodation as a whole and how much the residents of the caravan rely on the use of the facilities of the house.
This is all fairly subjective, but in essence asks that you do not locate your mobile home over the entire garden and to make sure that the residents of the mobile home still need to use the house for some functionality, such as laundry or full kitchen facilities. Full planning permission would be required to use the mobile home as a business premises or to rent it out independently from the house.
We recommend signing a statutory declaration stating that the use of the caravan will not be as a separate dwelling. If you are worried about planning issues then it is best to go to the council to get feedback on the proposed siting of your mobile home, you can either apply for a Lawful Development Certificate or keep just keep hold of the informal communications with the council confirming that the mobile home is allowed.
In a woodland or farmland setting you are allowed to site a caravan for accommodation use up to 28 days per year as a permitted development. In a woodland, this type of permitted development requires a notification to the council for approval. The caravan does not need to be moved off-site when not inhabited.
Do I need planning permission for a home office?
Generally no, this will fall under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. Allowing for a building to be located in your garden without formal consent. If required we can also construct a home office on a chassis, conforming to the Caravan Act which can bypass some height restrictions if the proposed cabin is too close to the boundary.
Do I need planning permission for a log home?
Yes, all residential developments will require planning permission, but don't despair, We have been through hundreds of successful planning journey’s with our clients and can help by providing plans for your application. We also have some great planning consultants that we can recommend.
Further reading:
You can read more about UK planning for log buildings on our blog here