Many garden rooms in North Shields can be built without an application, but the area has lots of conservation areas and listed buildings, so it pays to check early. Our planning permission guide covers the national rules in detail.
The permitted development rules
- Single storey, not in front of the house, and no raised platform over 0.3 m.
- No taller than 2.5 m within 2 m of a boundary. Further away, up to 4 m with a dual-pitched roof or 3 m with any other roof, with eaves no higher than 2.5 m.
- Outbuildings and extensions together covering no more than half the land around the original house.
- Used as an office, studio, gym or similar, not as separate living space.
Conservation areas, flats and listed homes
In Tynemouth Village, Fish Quay, Northumberland Square and the other conservation areas, you cannot build an outbuilding between the side of the house and the boundary without permission. The council publishes a character appraisal for each area, which gives useful guidance on materials and design. Flats, including Tyneside flats, have no permitted development rights for outbuildings. Listed buildings need planning permission and possibly listed building consent. Monkseaton, next to Whitley Bay, is also a conservation area.
Certainty, fees and Building Regulations
A Lawful Development Certificate gives formal certainty where a design is close to a limit. The householder application fee in England was set at £528 from April 2025 and is now index-linked, so check the Planning Portal fee calculator for the current figure.
Rooms under 15 m² with no sleeping accommodation are generally exempt from Building Regulations. From 15 to 30 m², they are generally exempt if at least 1 m from every boundary or built mainly from non-combustible materials. New electrical circuits must meet Part P. We explain where your project sits, and we recommend confirming it with the council. The same rules apply to all our garden rooms in Newcastle and along the coast.
