# Garage Conversion - permission needed?



## bambam (8 Apr 2010)

Do you need to apply for planning permission to convert a garage.

Thanks


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## onq (8 Apr 2010)

In general, no, but this is a heavily qualified "no", and is subject to the conditions and limitations in the planning and development legislation, some of which are noted below:

From:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2001/en/si/0600.html

STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.

S.I. No. 600 of 2001.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, 2001

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SCHEDULE 2

Article 6

Part 1
Exempted Development — General


Column 1
Description of Development

Class 1

The *extension of a house*, by the construction or erection of an  extension (including a conservatory) to the rear of the house or *by the  conversion for use as part of the house of any garage*, store, shed or  other similar structure attached to the rear or to the side of the house


Column 2
Conditions and Limitations

 1. (a) *Where the house has not been extended previously*, the floor area  of any such extension shall not exceed 40 square metres.
   (b) Subject to paragraph (a), where the house is terraced or  semi-detached, the floor area of any extension above ground level shall  not exceed 12 square metres.
   (c) Subject to paragraph (a), where the house is detached, the floor  area of any extension above ground level shall not exceed 20 square  metres.
   2. (a) *Where the house has been extended previously*, the floor area of  any such extension, taken together with the floor area of any previous  extension or extensions constructed or erected after 1 October 1964,  including those for which planning permission has been obtained, shall  not exceed 40 square metres.
   (b) Subject to paragraph (a), where the house is terraced or  semi-detached and has been extended previously, the floor area of any  extension above ground level taken together with the floor area of any  previous extension or extensions above ground level constructed or  erected after 1 October 1964, including those for which planning  permission has been obtained, shall not exceed 12 square metres.
   (c) Subject to paragraph (a), where the house is detached and has been  extended previously, the floor area of any extension above ground level,  taken together with the floor area of any previous extension or  extensions above ground level constructed or erected after 1 October  1964, including those for which planning permission has been obtained,  shall not exceed 20 square metres.
   3. Any above ground floor extension shall be a distance of not less than  2 metres from any party boundary.
   4. (a) Where the rear wall of the house does not include a gable, the  height of the walls of any such extension shall not exceed the height of  the rear wall of the house.
   (b) Where the rear wall of the house includes a gable, the height of the  walls of any such extension shall not exceed the height of the side  walls of the house.
   (c) The height of the highest part of the roof of any such extension  shall not exceed, in the case of a flat roofed extension, the height of  the eaves or parapet, as may be appropriate, or, in any other case,  shall not exceed the height of the highest part of the roof of the  dwelling.
   5. The construction or erection of any such extension to the rear of the  house shall not reduce the area of private open space, reserved  exclusively for the use of the occupants of the house, to the rear of  the house to less than 25 square metres.
   6. (a) Any window proposed at ground level in any such extension shall  not be less than 1 metre from the boundary it faces.
   (b) Any window proposed above ground level in any such extension shall  not be less than 11 metres from the boundary it faces.
   (c) Where the house is detached and the floor area of the extension  above ground level exceeds 12 square metres, any window proposed at  above ground level shall not be less than 11 metres from the boundary it  faces.
   7. The roof of any extension shall not be used as a balcony or roof  garden.



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   Restrictions on exemption.
       9.       (1)      Development to which article 6 relates shall not be  exempted development for the purposes of the Act—

 (a)  if the carrying out of such development would—

 (i)   contravene a condition attached to a  permission under the Act or  be inconsistent with any use specified in a permission under the Act.

 (ii)  consist of or comprise the formation, laying out or material  widening of a means of access to a public road the surfaced carriageway  of which exceeds 4 metres in width,

 (iii) endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard or obstruction  of road users,

 (iv) except in the case of a porch to which class 7 specified in column 1  of Part 1 of Schedule 2 applies and which complies with the conditions  and limitations specified in column 2 of the said Part 1 opposite the  mention of that class in the said column 1, comprise the construction,  erection, extension or renewal of a building on any street so as to  bring forward the building, or any part of the building, beyond the  front wall of the building on either side thereof or beyond a line  determined as the building line in a development plan for the area or,  pending the variation of a development plan or the making of a new  development plan, in the draft variation of the development plan or the  draft development plan,

 (v)  consist of or comprise the carrying out under a public road of  works other than a connection to a wired broadcast relay service, sewer,  water main, gas main or electricity supply line or cable, or any works  to which class 25, 26 or 31 (a) specified in column 1 of Part 1 of  Schedule 2 applies,

 (vi) interfere with the character of a landscape, or a view or prospect  of special amenity value or special interest, the preservation of which  is an objective of a development plan for the area in which the  development is proposed or, pending the variation of a development plan  or the making of a new development plan, in the draft variation of the  development plan or the draft development plan,

 (vii)           consist of or comprise the excavation, alteration or  demolition (other than peat extraction) of places, caves, sites,  features or  other objects of archaeological, geological, historical,  scientific or ecological interest, the preservation of which is an  objective of a development plan for the area in which the development is  proposed or, pending the variation of a development plan or the making  of a new development plan, in the draft variation of the development  plan or the draft development plan, save any excavation, pursuant to and  in accordance with a licence granted under  section 26 of the National Monuments Act, 1930  ( No. 2 of 1930 ),

 (viii) consist of or comprise the extension, alteration, repair or  renewal of an unauthorised structure or a structure the use of which is  an unauthorised use,

 (ix) consist of the demolition or such alteration of a building or other  structure as would preclude or restrict the continuance of an existing  use of a building or other structure where it is an objective of the  planning authority to ensure that the building or other structure would  remain available for such use and such objective has been specified in a  development plan for the area or, pending the variation of a  development plan or the making of a new development plan, in the draft  variation of the development plan or the draft development plan,

 (x)  consist of the fencing or enclosure of any land habitually open to  or used by the public during the 10 years preceding such fencing or  enclosure for recreational purposes or as a means of access to any  seashore, mountain, lakeshore, riverbank or other place of natural  beauty or recreational utility,

 (xi) obstruct any public right of way,

 (xii)   further to the provisions of section 82 of the Act, consist of  or comprise the carrying out of works to the exterior of a structure,  where the structure concerned is located within an architectural  conservation area or an area specified as an architectural conservation  area in a development plan for the area or, pending the variation of a  development plan or the  making of a new development plan, in the draft  variation of the development plan or the draft development plan and the  development would materially affect the character of the area,

 (b)  in an area to which a special amenity area order relates, if such  development would be development:—

 (i)   of class 1, 3, 11, 16, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 31, (other than  paragraph (a) thereof), 33 (c) (including the laying out and use of land  for golf or pitch and putt or sports involving the use of motor  vehicles, aircraft or firearms), 39, 44 or 50(a) specified in column 1  of Part 1 of Schedule 2, or

 (ii)  consisting of the use of a structure or other land for the  exhibition of advertisements of class 1, 4, 6, 11, 16 or 17 specified in  column 1 of Part 2 of the said Schedule or the erection of an  advertisement structure for the exhibition of any advertisement of any  of the said classes, or

 (iii) of class 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13 specified in column 1  of Part 3 of the said Schedule, or

 (iv) of any class of Parts 1, 2 or 3 of Schedule 2 not referred to in  subparagraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) where it is stated in the order made  under section 202 of the Act that such development shall be prevented or  limited,

 (c)  if it is development to which Part 10 applies, unless the  development is required by or under any statutory provision (other than  the Act or these Regulations) to comply with procedures for the purpose  of giving effect to the Council Directive,

 (d)  if it consists of the provision of, or modifications to, an  establishment, and could have significant repercussions on major  accident hazards.

 (2)     Sub-article (1)(a)(vi) shall not apply where the development  consists of the construction by any electricity undertaking of an  overhead line or cable not exceeding 100 metres in length for the  purpose of conducting electricity from a distribution or transmission  line to any premises.


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## bambam (8 Apr 2010)

Thanks a million.


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## onq (10 Apr 2010)

You're very welcome.

Just watch your materials, total area, front building line, overall height vs roof type - and for the little it costs, run your drawings past your local planning officer, bambam, to avoid "trouble at' mill" down the line.

My advice is get someone to look at this for you before you build it - there is a lot a competent building professional can bring ot even the smallest and simplest project.

Good design which doesn't cost an arm and a leg over run-of-the-mill stuff can give added amenity during occupation and added value at sell on.

Adding in some velux rooflights will change it from being a dark hole of  a space needing lighting all the time to a naturally lit workspace.

Insulating the garage means its a relatively simple job to convert it later on and will be a warm, damp-free building to use now.

The builder's job is to build and it will cost much of a muchness depending on spec - good design is a sustainable choice.

The regulation wording above will help you talking to your planning officer if there is a dispute.

ONQ.


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