What can I do to my garage without building regs/planning permission?

[Karcheer]

we have a standalone garage with 3 single garage doors.

one also has a pedestrian door.

my husband wants to get some gym equipment and the logical place for this is one of the garages.

How far can we go with converting this into a room before we have to get building regs or planning involved?

Can we split the garage away from the other garages with plaster board? Can we get it plastered?
Can I block up the garage door and replace with glass doors?

Thank you.

If the garages are original, i.e. built at the same time the house was built then they’d be exempt providing they follow the PP guidance for outbuildings...

www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/43/outbuildings

www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/43/outbuildings/2

@DevilDamo how would i find that out? There wasn't any separate planning permission for them when we bought the house.

Check your LPA’s website to see if you can find the Planning history for the site/property. Tbh, even if they weren’t “original”, you may still be able to utilise the exemption criteria providing there are no Planning conditions or covenants protecting the garage’s use.

Are you planning on selling or moving soon? If not, I wouldn't worry too much. We bought a house with a converted garage and it wasn't even brought up.
If you're worried, get a builder in who can advise you more specifically.

DH is converting half of our garage to a gym. He is paining the breeze block walls white, boarding the rafters and putting down rubber tiles. He’s also put a wall mounted heater in
There won’t be windows or doors apart from a small pedestrian one on one side

Not necessarily recommended but our builder converted his internal garage without planning permission - plasterboarded it, put wooden floor in, and installed double glazed french doors. When he got inspected he borrowed a smart car and parked in inside. His argument to the planning inspector was “what’s that inside? A car, yes? And where do you keep a car - that’s right a garage”.

Not sure how much he was having us on, but he did show us photos!