We’re offering on a new house. It’s one of the 1970’s more ‘quirky’ houses – it’s ‘link detached’ via the garage. It’s also on a straight road but the houses are all different distances back from the road – this one with a big front garden and set back from the neighbours. In Scotland.

We’re thinking that to convert existing garage to an additional downstairs office/craft room/snug and a small laundry. Then adding a porch and bike store out front, like the image below.

Am I right in saying that we need planning to build out front?
Also, if something is a porch (under 3m2) and bike storage, basically a properly built but not within the thermal envelope, then it can be built without building regs/warrant?

Not an architect – but going through a rear extension of my own at the minute…

From everything I’ve read I’d be amazed if they let you build that to the front. It’s far from a porch. I’d certainly not make an offer if this was a deal-breaker idea.

Anything forward of the principle elevation (so the front in your case – bar a 3sq m porch) needs planning permission and I’d suggest it’s unlikely to be granted especially if you in a row of other similar houses. If yours was the only one with no obvious building line then you stand a chance. Not in this case I feel.

Keep garage for bikes and build out the back for the extra floor space you need/want?

Several folk in similar style properties on my in-laws have (recent) extensions of a similar vein out front forward of front principal……but that’s a particularly awful example.

If yours was the only one with no obvious building line then you stand a chance. Not in this case I feel.

There’s no building line at all in the street.
The two houses are set back.
There’s multiple designs of house on the same road – of 20 od houses, 4 are this design as two pairs next to each other, but the other pair are set forward.

It’s not a deal breaker, it’s just a very efficient use of the space within the existing building envelope. The garage is below a bedroom. No structural changes needed. Garage floor is 40cm lower than main house floor but ceiling the same so easy to insulate a new floor at same level. There’s an existing unde stairs cupboard that would be access.

Building a light weight porch and ‘shed’ would be less foundations and less cost. Even paying planning fee is less than a ‘traditional’ rear extension I think…

I’m looking at an extension at the moment, my architect said anything out front needs planning permission but if it’s nothing crazy then it’s very likely to be approved (this is in England and obviously context is everything). I was told it’s worth getting everything done officially with building regs even if not required purely for if/when you want to sell.

Are those false legs?

Ours is set back so small rear garden so gets very little sun might that also be an issue?

Are those false legs?

yes but real feet 😉

The local borough planning guidance will have policy on front extensions, which may take some digging to find and the planning portal will give you guidance on permitted development.

You could also call a local small architectural practice and have a chat, it’s possible they will give you a steer for the opportunity to quote for designing and submitting a planning application.

Building regs is a different debt and not something to be avoided if you are sticking in new foundations to make a heated space.

Need a before photo. In-laws did similar in a conservation area in England but had to retain the garage door as a facade to a living space behind. Your issue is the building out i guess.

Porches are permitted development, the Scottish Government site is actually very clear on what is allowed and what needs planning:

Permitted development

Most porches don’t need a planning permission application, because most meet a set of rules called ‘permitted development’.

If your porch meets these rules, you automatically have planning permission and don’t have to apply for it.

You won’t need to apply for planning permission to add a porch to your house as long as:

its footprint (the total floor area it takes up) is no greater than 3 square metres
there’s at least 2 metres between the edge of the porch and any boundary facing a road
it isn’t taller than 3 metres
it isn’t within a conservation area

You should always check with your council’s planning department to see whether you need to apply for planning permission. Even if you meet the permitted development rules, there may be other approvals you’ll need to get.

For a more detailed explanation of what’s considered a permitted development when adding a porch to your house, read the Scottish Government’s Guidance on Householder Permitted Development rights publication.

https://www.mygov.scot/perm-development-works

Permitted Development is not always automatic and it can be removed by Article 4 Directions and/or previous planning consents. You should be able to check for these on your local authority website.

Or here:

https://data.spatialhub.scot/dataset/article_4_directions-is/resource/fac0d9e6-3033-4f79-8554-ce389baf7116
https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/cb61f3f2-811d-47aa-8d5f-140a71efcb7b/article-4-directions-scotland

I don’t know what it’s like in the rest of the country, but I wish the local authority round here would do something about all these houses being slathered in K-rend! white boxes with anthracite windows, printed concrete driveways and plastic gardens everywhere!! Hideous trend! We live in a conservation area and we had to jump through hoops to get planning permission for a small extension with most of our ideas refused yet anyone can do that to their perfectly nice houses…

front extension and ugly house

There’s an adjective in the wrong place.

The 3 square metres allowed under PD for a porch is not very big when you actually set it out. Its less than the size of a typical disabled WC for example.

We’re undertaking a similar ish project on a link detached house. Essentially bring garage forward, extending entrance hall and bedroom above garage. Local architect done plans advised on planning – we are just tweaking design. He’s old school so just paper drawings, I’d love to have some digital images like those.

Good luck with the house 🙌

@matt_outandabout is this a I’m going to be on George Clarke humblebrag?

A man who’s never met a budget he couldn’t exceed.

I blooming hope not! (and my brother shared student flat and Uni Course with him, so I have a few tales that perhaps shouldn’t be public from student life…)

The black box is a poor example, but we are considering how to ‘beautify’ the property as well as create some more room. It may well be that we need to go backwards with an extension, but I was hoping a good design on the front with a new colour would change things up a lot.

And absolutely no way will I go for flippin grey windows and doors….