There are various rules and regulations from different authorities that can influence how to proceed with your garden building project.

Typically the first consideration is whether Planning Permission is required and what attitude the local planning authority (LPA) at your County Council might take. Town and Country Planning Act 1990 consolidated previous legislation and subsequent exemption orders can enable “Permitted Development”. In the most simple terms, your approach will be typically governed by what you want to build where and how big it is.

Building regulations are minimum standards that were developed by the UK government and approved by Parliament. The Building Regulations 2010 cover the construction and extension of buildings and these regulations are supported by Approved Documents.

Building regulations approval is different from planning permission and you might need both for your project.

The Planning Portal www.planningportal.co.uk works in partnership with every local authority across England and Wales and is set up to be the national home of planning and building regulations information and is a freely available resource.

From time to time the location of your project can have additional implications eg Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Convention on Wetlands (RAMSAR), World Heritage Sites (UNESCO).

Garden Affairs recently helped a customer to realise their dream building in a riverside location. The Avon valley in Bath & North Somerset witnesses significant changes in water levels during the seasons.

In the planning application, the local planning authority had requested a method statement in light of concerns about potential flooding of the River Avon at the proposed site.

Quite right too…….see this picture taken in February!!