Partial garage with partition wall - planning permission

[badluckbuddy]

Hello,

We’re buying a property with a detached garage. The current owner has built a couple of stud walls inside the garage to separate it into 3 store rooms.

There’s no insulation and it is not habitable.

Will the bank / solicitors demand some kind of planning permission (the current owner didn’t get any)?

We’re just trying to foresee any delays with our purchase.

The estate agents have labelled the store rooms as “potential home office or gym” and I’m worried that the bank / solicitor will focus on this phrasing.

(We want to reuse it as a garage again)

Thanks

PP would have been required if the original garage building was subject to a condition on the PP for that restricting its use to garage only.

If the original garage didn't require PP, or there was no such condition on that PP, the subdivision work is fine in planning terms. Building Regs may be different.

Thanks @Seeline I didn’t even think about building regs

The estate agents could have labelled it as a princess Palace and the bank or solicitor wouldn't take any notice, the estate agents' description isn't worth anything.

If it's not being used as a dwelling then I'm not sure what issue there is?

@PragmaticWench yes boss

@PragmaticWench. Some garages are restricted by their original PPs to only be used for garage purposes. If it is to be used for any other purpose, PP would be required to relax the relevant condition.

@badluckbuddy if you're going to be rude, why should anyone help you? I genuinely couldn't see the issue.

@Seeline, would it matter if the stud walls weren't permanent and the OP was planning to take them down?

@PragmaticWench sorry definitely didn’t intend on sounding rude!

I’m absolutely clueless about this stuff and I find it quite daunting. Thanks for the reassurance though.

Definitely just stud walls that are coming down!

Technically yes it does matter. If PP is necessary, the vendors are selling an unauthorised development.

Easiest way would be for vendors to revert garage back to original layout.

In our last house, previous owner had put up stud wall in the garage (double length) to separate each half, using front as a regular garage and the back as a work room. As it was not habitable, not used as a habitable no insulation etc there was no issue upon purchase.

Years later, we wanted to convert it to habitable space and to go so, we needed building regulations, not planning permission. To cover ourselves for future sake of the house, we submitted plans to the council to confirm in writing no planning permission was needed, later completed the work and had building regs done.

So if it’s not habitable, just stuf walks separating discs in the garage for storage purposes, no need to worry

The garage has the potential for other use but that would be subject to your getting plans done and building regs from your council. At present, you don’t need to worry about the garage as it is.

Thank you @ILoveYoga that’s such relief!

@Seeline oooh the vendor definitely won’t convert it back. We asked when we viewed & he said “well, why should I? Sold as seen!”

Thanks everyone!