Planning permission
YOUR OWN HOME, CUSTOM-BUILT WITHOUT THE RED TAPE
A MAC container home is a great value, high quality and quick way to provide or expand your living or working space.
Container housing often does not need planning permission because it is not considered to be permanent. So far, none of our container homes has been refused planning permission. However, the rules vary in different parts of the country, so you should contact your local planning authority (LPA) for a definitive answer regarding your site.
Find your local planning authority (LPA)
You can also find useful information about your responsibilities on the "Planning Portal" site - "What is planning permission".
IN YOUR GARDEN
A MAC container house is an excellent way to quickly and cheaply expand your accommodation, whether it’s a home office, studio, extra bedroom or workshop.
Such a home does not usually require planning permission, apart from obvious exceptions such as listed buildings or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
EMPTY LAND AND FARM LAND
Planning permission may be required for a container home on your land if it changes how the land is used, say, from agricultural to residential. This is no different from building any kind of house. A container home will be very economical by comparison. Any change of use scenarios are best explored with your local LPA to make sure no restrictions apply.
BROWNFIELD SITES
Multiple container homes are a useful way to re-purpose empty brownfield sites or public land, even temporarily. As truly versatile modular houses, with their stackability and portability, MAC container homes can bring dormant brownfield sites to life, build new communities and relieve homelessness and housing shortages. Container villages maximise spare land without compromising its value as permanent real estate. When the lease expires, the village can be moved to another site.
WHY YOU MIGHT NEED PLANNING PERMISSION
In some areas, it can be difficult to obtain planning permission for any kind of building, such as:
- Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- National Parks
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Norfolk Broads
- In the curtilage of a Listed Building
You will also need to talk to the planners if you are:
- Placing your container home next to a highway or junction
- Using a container home to extend your existing home
Container houses only require strong support at each corner, rather than full foundations. This often exempts them from planning permission. A MAC container home arrives complete and fully fitted. It does not attach to the ground, which also has some bearing on its planning status.
PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT
In some areas, container housing falls into the category of outbuildings and is deemed Permitted Development. Outbuildings do not generally require planning permission unless they are separate, self-contained living accommodation.
BUILDING REGULATIONS
Building regulations should be complied with if you are using a container home as a full-time dwelling. MAC can supply buildings fully compliant with building regulations.
More about obtaining building regulations approval
IF YOU DO NEED PLANNING PERMISSION
We will work with you to submit plans that acknowledge the sensitivities of your site. There are many ways of making a container home blend sympathetically into its environment.
