Tiny House Planning Permission | Part 2
Yes, we’re back at it - again!
With the amount of enquiries we get every week for our planning permission guide, we thought it prudent that we write some more info about a particularly popular topic; placing your tiny home on your land (garden / driveaway / curtilage).
Let’s dive right in.
Planning Permission & Permitted Development
What is ‘permitted development’?
In a nutshell, it is a policy that allows you to ‘within reason’, build what you want within your land. This can be a garden shed, a decking or even a conservatory. For the sake of this article, we’re only talking about residential homes - not including flats or maisonettes.
Your rights under 'permitted development’ may also not be valid, if you live within an area of natural beauty (AONB), a national park, a conservation area, a world heritage site (think Stonehenge) or the Norfolk or Suffolk Broads.
Another reason that you will require full planning is if the land is changing its use. For example if you have purchased agricultural land and would like to use it for residential use, it does not fall within ‘permitted development’ and therefore will require you to apply for planning permission. There is a lot more to this (hence why planning can be such a headache) as planning can be passed through should you want to continue growing crops on the argriculatural land while placing a tiny house there as a workers building so that you can protect your crops. This type of planning requires a full business plan to show how you will cater to the land. (more on this on another blog post!)
Lawful Development Certificates : What are they?
Think of it similar to ‘permitted development’, but you’ve instead informed your local council / planning office that you intend to build something on your land. This request to the council simply asks that the development, or building, is indeed lawful, or that the building does not require planning permission.
The application can be complex, so naturally some research and due diligence will have to be taken before applying for an LDC. We suggest you ask in groups, ourselves or even your local planning officer before making an application. Once you’re ready to do so, and have all of the necessary documents, you can apply by visiting the Planning Portal website.
An interesting appeal result, from an individual wishing to place a Sherpherds Hut within the residential curtilage of their land, which had a Heritage Building on site, was initially rejected but later appealed successfully and lawful development was given. The document shows how if the individual had gone for Permitted Development, then the application would not have been successful. So it’s very important to know which type of policy to use when you go down this route - either Permitted Development or Lawful Development Certificate, if any.
Do I need planning if I renting from a farmer or family member?
If you don’t own the land then you are not responsible for the planning. However, the person who does own the land will want the same details from you such as the size and spec of the home, floorplans and renders if you have them which they will then use to arrange planning permission on their land. This process can take a few weeks to a few months dependant on your district as each council differs.
Once the permission has gone through, we recommend arrange a contract between yourselves and the land owner to establish some ground rules including rent, longevity of contract and water/electricity usage options.
We do hope that this has helped you to understand further about the complexities of planning permission rules & regulations, and if you have any questions about your future tiny home, or one of our builds, please do get in touch with us either via live chat (the blue button at the bottom right of your screen) or via email. We reply within just a few hours on average!