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Q&As
What should the minimum distance be in front of a domestic garage to make it serviceable and useable?
Hello could anybody help, what is the minimum distance there should be in front of a domestic garage to make it serviceable and useable. A distance of 11 metres has been suggested. Is this a building recommendation or Building Standards requirement? I require the information to finish off the building of a domestic garage I am able to move the said garage to fit building recommendations.
Your help would be most appreciated. Thank you.
Gerry Farrant
One Answer
Hi Gerry,
As far as I’m aware, this isn’t anything to do with Building Regulations / Building Standards but in fact a rule adopted by planning authorities. The goal is to ensure there’s enough space to move your car out of the garage, safely onto the driveway and still have enough room to close a standard garage door.
I believe most local planning authorities require a driveway length of 5.5m-6m for a single garage. With double garages, some (such as East Lothian) do ask for 11m length OR 6m width. The width option could be a saving grace for you – so check your local planning department’s requirements.
In addition, if your garage development is permitted development (rather than needing a planning application), it’s possible you may not need to abide by this rule.
So, it might be worth checking with your planning department whether your project does in fact meet the permitted development criteria. For peace of mind, you could then apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness to confirm the project is permitted development.
Hope this helps!
Chris Batesmith (Content Director, Build It)