When considering where to site your lodge you may wish to consider several factors effecting where may be the best place. One of the main factors will surely be that of whether or not the building will require planning permission.
The Council has a policy of Permitted Development Rights. Broadly speaking this means that if certain criteria are met, the building can go ahead without the need for planning permission. This saves both time and money and means that there is no possibility of being turned down.
In order to benefit from these permitted development rights the following conditions must be met:
- The building must be used for domestic purposes.
- The building must be situated more than 5m from the house
- The main house should not be a flat.
- The height of the proposed building must not exceed 4m for a ridge roof and 3m for a flat roof. (We design around this restriction if at all possible)
- It must not be BOTH nearer to any road than the original house and within 20m of that road.
- With the exception of the house the building must not cover more than 30% of the remaining land.
- The house must not be situated in a Conservation Area.
As long as these criteria are met then it is very unlikely that you will require planning permission. However, it is the client’s responsibility to ensure that this is the case.
You should be aware that the requirement for drainage (bathrooms and kitchens) or heating other than electric will necessitate the need for a building warrant.
Other factors to consider when siting the building are:
Orientation – does it maximise the available daylight? – this can be a design issue as well. It should be borne in mind that the solar heat gain from a sunny day can significantly increase the temperature in a single room structure. This can be reduced by the use of blinds and by employing new glass technologies.
View – is it being used primarily to take advantage of a view not seen from the main dwelling?
Exposure – will it be exposed to the predominant wind? – our structures can withstand the Scottish elements with ease but significant glazing on the exposed side of the structure may increase heating costs.
Use – a structure that is used daily should not ideally be located very far from the main dwelling and access should be sheltered if possible.
Levels – if a kitchen or bathroom are proposed, does the natural fall allow use of the existing septic tank or mains drainage. The need for an additional septic tank can add several thousand pounds to a build although technology to pump waste to the tank can be incorporated so long as there is sufficient tank capacity.
Ground stability – unstable ground will require more substantial and therefore more costly foundations to be built. In addition, sites that are moderately to steeply inclined will also require a deeper foundation. Particularly unstable sites may require pinning in addition to the concrete slab.
Services – it is always best to avoid land that has services running through it. The groundwork team will discuss this with you at the site meeting. Services can be re-routed but this will clearly add to the cost.
It should be noted that problems with the site are very rare and can usually be easily overcome.
