Using a garage as an office -- permission needed?

[Jake]

I asked if the garage there now ever had planning permission in the first place. He had a look and said there was nothing at all for our house and that their systems go back to the 70s. I know the garage is at least 20 years old but probably not as old as 30+.

But, he said if it's been there more than 4 years it doesn't matter anyway.

He also said that when demolishing a structure it's as if it was never there in their eyes so planning permission is needed as if it's a

*new* structure. Rebuilding a similar garage doesn't automatically mean no permission is needed.

Jake

[Stuart Noble]

Shouldn't that be, "as long as it *is* more than 5m from the house" ?

[Jake]

Dunno. Should it? The way I interpreted it was that anything close to the house was an extension. Anything more than 5m away starts becoming a separate building in its own right.

Who knows...

Jake

[Stuart Noble]

And needs planning permission.

Anything more than 5m away starts becoming

And, if it's not living accommodation, doesn't need PP, however substantially built it is.

Not me.

[Brian Sharrock]

AIUI; (my neighbour had an extension built) the extension cannot encroach within five metres of the 'other' (garage) building. His extension _extends_ from his house and it's end is up to five metres from the pre-existing garage.