As this forum is normally the place that can answer any questions (car related or not) I thought that I would post this.

I'm looking to build a large workshop/garage at the bottom of my garden, there is no access from the rear which backs onto a wooded area. Currently the driveway comes past the R/H side of the house to a single garage which is just beyond the back of the house, this garage will be demolished once the new one is built, the driveway will then come to the same place as now but will continue as a path on the right and a row of 'grass blocks' on the left (i will not be parking the car in it every night).

The size of the new garage will be approx 9M wide by approx 7 M deep I would like it to go from 'boundary to boundary (no gaps down the sides which thieving scrotes can sneak through). The site slopes down towards the rear boundary and down towards the right and i would also like to take the opportunity to level out the garden a bit.

In terms of the construction, i would like it to reflect the house which is 1920's stone built with a slate hip roof, obviously that will make for a very expensive garage so there will have to be some compromise, what i thought was concrete blocks back and sides, with a partial stone faced front (the bit that I can see) for the roof i would settle for eternits (i think that's what those fake slates are called) or possibly even tile effect corrugated steel (must be insulated to prevent condensation). I planned to have a vehicle door on the right, a personnel door and a window with jailbars built in to the wall on the left, I also planned to save some cost of stone by having a wooden garden shed built with the garage wall as it's back wall so all of the visible wall would be stone and the sides and shed section would be blocks or tyrolean finish.

Now the difficult part, there is a bloody big tree the trunk of which is about 1M from the back wall of the garage, so the roots must go underneath the plot and I am totally unsure about building over tree roots. I have made a couple of casual approaches to my local planners over the years that I have lived here and they have said that I do not require planning permission but will have to get building regs approval, the last time i asked they said that this could be done from a series of sketches as to what I was planning. I think I would prefer to get some form plans so that I can get quotes from the various trades. Curiously they also checked that there was no conservation order on the tree, and there isn't, does that mean i can have it cut down, and if so how much does that cost?

What I'm hoping for here is

A. Any advice anyone can offer regarding boundary hedges (who's hedge are they? Where does my property end etc) and how can i find out

B Advice regarding building over the tree roots, my mate has a mini diger business so the digging is not an issue.

C. Any advice regarding wall thicknesses ( i want a reasonable level of insulation) & roof construction.

D. Any trades interested in pricing for some of the work, Architect, brickies, roofers etc.

Hopefully here are a couple of photos of the plot with some more in my archive

Hiya

A. Do you have the deeds to your property? If not the land registry will be the first place to check for the boundaries. (I'd also consider talking to the neighbours at this stage, don't want any falling out!).

B. The roots will have to come out (generally speaking) but you'll be digging down for the founds / drains etc anyway.

C. Wall thickness, if you are going to heat the space, then it'll have to comply with b.regs for conservation of heat / power (basically insulation). Allow min of 100mm of block internal skin, 75mm filled cavity, then 100mm of brick / block / stone outer skin. Allow 300mm wide, which will be enough to support your roof!

D. I'd be more than happy to have a look at it for you.

We can do any or all of the job, from initial sketches, through planning / b.regs.

We could then either build it ourselves, or project manage the job, whatever you felt comfortable with.

Cheers

Mike

If you are going to remove the tree and roots, best to do so and fill in the hole before building inspector visits as they can be funny about recently disturbed land so may still require you to dig deep footings where the tree has been removed. I am a builder and have built my own garage which is 8m x 8.5m. There were a couple of trees that couldn't be moved so i had to dig down 2 metres for footings.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Guinness
Hiya

A. Do you have the deeds to your property? If not the land registry will be the first place to check for the boundaries. (I'd also consider talking to the neighbours at this stage, don't want any falling out!).

B. The roots will have to come out (generally speaking) but you'll be digging down for the founds / drains etc anyway.

C. Wall thickness, if you are going to heat the space, then it'll have to comply with b.regs for conservation of heat / power (basically insulation). Allow min of 100mm of block internal skin, 75mm filled cavity, then 100mm of brick / block / stone outer skin. Allow 300mm wide, which will be enough to support your roof!

D. I'd be more than happy to have a look at it for you.

We can do any or all of the job, from initial sketches, through planning / b.regs.

We could then either build it ourselves, or project manage the job, whatever you felt comfortable with.

Cheers

Mike

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by fatfranky
... I have made a couple of casual approaches to my local planners over the years that I have lived here and they have said that I do not require planning permission ...

---

If the tree's got to go and there is no TPO on it (or generally on the whole area), then get rid of it BEFORE you go any further - it's not unknown for neighbours who find out about your plans and don't like them to approach the council and you could suddenly find a TPO slapped on it!

quote:

---

Originally posted by SteveWalker
If the tree's got to go and there is no TPO on it (or generally on the whole area), then get rid of it BEFORE you go any further - it's not unknown for neighbours who find out about your plans and don't like them to approach the council and you could suddenly find a TPO slapped on it!

---

Garage plot 1