Garden improvements include laying a new patio or paving over the garden to create more driveway space.
However, one home improvement specialist has warned how some of these common garden improvements could lead to a hefty fine.
Sean Bunyan, head of commercial operations at Eurocell, said: “Before diving into the details, it’s important to understand the rules around Permitted Development (PD).
“PD is a concept in UK planning law that allows homeowners to carry out certain types of home and garden design work without obtaining planning permission.
“Several stringent requirements go along with PD, such as height, area, proximity to your neighbours, and more. PD allows for smaller-scale projects that meet specific criteria outlined by legislation. All projects, however, must comply with the predefined rules.
“Factors like listed-building status, conservation areas, impact on the environment or locations within an Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) can override permitted development rights, requiring planning permission.”
Installing composite decking has become a popular garden trend in recent years, but there are still strict rules to follow when putting up a new seating area.
Regulations state any decking that rises 30cm or more off the ground is subject to planning permission. The same can be said if you plan to install decking that occupies 50 percent or more of your total outdoor space, whether that be in the front or the back garden.
The expert said: “There are also building regulations surrounding the spacing of railings or balustrades, such as not allowing a sphere of 100mm to pass through the gaps between, or that the balustrade must be at least 900mm high if there is a drop of 600mm or more.
“Failure to acquire the proper planning permission from the council could result in a hefty fine, or an enforcement notice requiring you to remove or amend the size of your new deck.
“Failing to follow building regulations can result in fines beginning at £50 a day, although the severity of the fine can increase depending on whether or not you live in a protected area, and the scale of work undertaken.”
When putting up new fencing, it’s important to consider the legal limits for height, with the maximum being two metres without planning permission. If your proposed fence fronts a road, path or public bridleway though, you’ll need planning permission for a fence taller than one metre.
The expert noted: “You’ll also need planning permission if you live in a conservation area or historically listed building. Failure to gain planning permission can trigger a sequence of events that could lead to a £20,000 fine or more.”
Another popular garden improvement is to concrete over any unused front garden space to create a space to park a car. By law, you can only create a driveway space where there is already a dropped kerb in place and if you don’t have one, you’ll need to apply before carrying out any work, according to the expert.
Sean added: “The costs of dropping a kerb can also be a barrier here. Most people can expect to spend between £1,500 and £3,000 on dropping the kerb alone.
“The average cost of the licence to drop the kerb is around £300, and you may require the help of a planning consultant, which could cost a few hundred pounds.
“Add onto that any additional labour and fees and the cost of creating new parking space can be prohibitive.”
Instead, make improvements which don’t need any planning permission such as creating a gorgeous flowerbed and introducing ambient lighting.
