As you can see from the photo, my back garden is in need of a facelift. Part of the work could include building a wood-framed ‘awning’ over the pictured passageway, with 4×4 posts bolted to the wall to the right and extending above the brick by a few feet, while on the house wall would be a horizontal support, with some sort of roof (fibreglass maybe?) spanning the top.

Over the wall is an overgrown green space belonging to a three-storey block of flats about 40 feet from the property divide.

I am wondering if anyone might know off-hand if there would be planning issues with such a plan, and where I would begin to find out more.

Sorry if I sound like I don’t know anything. I don’t, and my dad, who used to do all the building, is no longer around to ask.

Not quite sure what it would be classed as. You could build a conservatory there without planning. Planning portal website is the place to look.

You can’t attach to or build off someone else’s wall though. Can you cantilever it from your own wall or put the posts in without bolting them to the wall?

Might be one of those jobs where its easier to ask forgiveness than permission 8)

We are planning something similar at ours.

Ps if you want a hand with the building I’ll help.

It looks like that’s the side of the house, with the passage leading to the back garden? If so then it would be a side extension, check the planning portal website which has an interactive guide on the do’s and don’ts.

AFAIK You can build off the boundary wall of its a party wall under permitted development as long as you do all the party wall stuff.

If you do need permission, it should be relatively straightforward given the distance to the flats, but just be sensible in heights/overlooking issues.

I’d crack on with it, particularly as the party wall is likely owned by a management company who will be most unlikely to know or complain that you have popped a couple of rawl bolts into their wall…

i asked a planning friend for you and his rather gleeful reply was ‘there are always planning issues’.

Is the property a flat or within a Conservation Area then planning permission is required.If not then it might be Permitted Development (pp not required) Will depend on height of structure too. wall is a a private civil matter between the owners, not a planning issue.

thats what he said abd his invoice is on its way

I think your biggest issue will be building regs rather than permission and I think it might fall foul of not having combustible material within a certain distance of the main dwelling.

Only reason I vaguely remember this is it was an issue when I built my garage next to my house.

Building warrant required as it’s a boundary. Just as Bazzer said. Combustible materials are a no-no there.