Experience counts when garden room planning concerns arise
A 5m × 3m garden office and studio built under Permitted Development as part of a garden redesign, with Garden Spaces' pre-build checks ready when a planning officer visited.
Garden Spaces‘ depth of experience was instrumental in helping their client realise their vision for this 5m x 3m garden office and studio space. The building includes many familiar features of their contemporary design style – full-height glazing, cohesive material choices, and thoughtful detailing – but it was their behind-the-scenes knowledge of planning law that really made the difference.
At a glance
- Size: 5m × 3m.
- Planning: Permitted Development rights confirmed, and height and boundary distances documented, before the build.
- Construction: SIPs on a packer system over a slab laid by the landscapers.
- Glazing: French doors between full-height fixed panes, under a lit canopy.
- Company: Garden Spaces, including the final connection to the house.
Planning knowledge protects client’s investment
While garden rooms like this are often built under Permitted Development, it’s not uncommon for neighbours to raise concerns, especially once work begins on site. That’s exactly what happened here – but thanks to meticulous pre-build checks, the client had nothing to worry about.
As part of the design and quotation process, the Garden Spaces team confirmed that the property benefitted from Permitted Development rights. They also documented key compliance points, such as overall height in relation to the highest adjacent ground level, and the appropriate distance from boundaries.
When the local planning officer visited, Garden Spaces were able to support their client directly, providing clear evidence that the garden room met all the legal requirements.
This level of experience isn’t always found elsewhere and serves as a reminder of the value in choosing a team who not only understand the nuances of Permitted Development but also build in a way that protects the client’s investment from the outset.
A collaborative approach with the garden design team
The client’s vision for a multi-purpose space formed part of a wider garden renovation and required close coordination with their chosen landscaping company. The new building needed to tie into the overall design, both visually and practically.
Garden Spaces worked closely with the landscapers to ensure that the foundation system would support their SIPs-based structure. A concrete slab was installed by the landscaping team, with Garden Spaces providing an incremental packer system to ensure an accurate and level base for the build. This kind of collaboration helps ensure the smoothest path through a complex project.
Stylish contemporary detailing
The front elevation features French doors flanked by wide, full-height fixed-pane windows, creating a strong connection between inside and out. A roof canopy spans the full width of the building and is fitted with exterior-grade LED downlights to softly illuminate the front in the evenings. Below, a decked veranda finished in composite boards, colour-matched with the glazing frames and trims, creates a welcoming entrance.
Thermowood cladding has been installed vertically across the front elevation, adding warmth and texture to the contemporary design. The side and rear walls are finished in cement particle board painted to match the trims and frames, giving a smart, unified finish from every angle. A high-level top-hung window on the rear wall adds natural ventilation.
Move-in ready finish
As with all Garden Spaces projects, the interior is finished to a high standard. The walls and ceiling are professionally plastered and decorated, with flooring selected from their wide range of options to suit the client’s taste. Aluminium venetian blinds provide flexible control over light and privacy.
The electrical specification includes multiple sockets, LED lighting, and electric heating-all installed by the Garden Spaces team. They also handle the final connection to the mains supply in the main house, leaving the client with a fully functional, move-in ready new workspace.
Learn more about Garden Spaces
To find out more about creating a Permitted Development-compliant garden room, speak with the Garden Spaces team on 0845 387 9 387 or email info@gardenspaces.co.uk. You can also explore www.gardenspaces.co.uk to see the range of options available to personalise your garden room.
