Our client wished to erect a modest timber garden shed measuring 4m × 3m (12m²) with a mono-pitched roof, 2.4m eaves height, cedar cladding and a single stable door, positioned in the rear garden 1.5m from the boundary. The property is a detached house within the Metropolitan Green Belt.
The client had been advised by a neighbour that Green Belt designation prevented any form of building work and was on the verge of abandoning the project entirely. This is a common misconception. Green Belt policy restricts “inappropriate development” requiring planning permission, but it does not remove permitted development rights under the GPDO 2015. Class E rights apply to dwellinghouses in the Green Belt in exactly the same way as they do elsewhere.
However, because the shed was to be positioned within 2m of a boundary, the maximum overall height is limited to 2.5m. The proposed design at 2.4m eaves comfortably met this requirement.
“Green Belt designation does not remove permitted development rights. Class E of the GPDO 2015 applies to dwellinghouses regardless of whether they are within the Green Belt. However, any proposal requiring a full planning application would face the strict ‘very special circumstances’ test under NPPF paragraph 154.”
We recommended a Certificate of Lawful Development (CLD) to give the client formal legal certainty that the shed was permitted development. While a CLD is not strictly required to exercise PD rights, it provides documented proof from the council — invaluable for mortgage lenders, future buyers, and neighbour disputes. We prepared a supporting letter demonstrating compliance with every criterion under Class E of Schedule 2, Part 1 of the GPDO 2015.
CLD approved by Tandridge District Council within 6 weeks. The client was saved from abandoning a perfectly lawful project based on incorrect advice. The Certificate of Lawful Development provides permanent legal protection — it confirms on the council’s records that the shed is lawful permitted development, which cannot be challenged or revoked. This case illustrates why professional planning advice is essential: without it, the client would have lost a straightforward project to a common Green Belt misconception.
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