What is Ancillary Accommodation?

Planning on building a granny annexe or any other type of ancillary accommodation? Read on for more information on what ancillary accommodation is, how it is related to granny annexes and how we can help with planning.

What Does Ancillary Accommodation Mean?

Ancillary accommodation or an ancillary dwelling is a small self-contained residence, situated on the same property as another house. Ancillary accommodation can either be a separate building from the man home or attached to a house as an extension.

In the United Kingdom, ancillary accommodation is referred to by several other names; a separate self-contained building is a ‘granny annexe’, or ‘granny flat’. If the accommodation is physically attached to a property it would generally be referred to as an extension.

Ancillary homes are ‘self-contained’, this means that they will usually have all the facilities found inside an ordinary home; bathroom, kitchen and an area to sleep in. This would allow any occupant to live independent of the main house.

There is so much law concerning what constitutes ancillary buildings but to sum it up; ancillary accommodation generally needs planning permission and is a dwelling where you would be able to do anything you would in a normal home; eat, sleep, wash etc.

In contrast to ancillary buildings is incidental building; these are usually built using Permitted Development and include small extensions, outdoor storage and summer houses.

What is Ancillary Accommodation Used For?

Ancillary accommodation is used as an additional living space that is close to, but independent from the main property. The accommodation must be subordinate to the main dwelling and can’t be sold or let, independent of the main property.

Most commonly used to house elderly parents, this is how ancillary accommodation became referred to by the more familiar granny annexe or granny flat.

Elderly parents can be a worry for many people; with rising care costs and the fact that many people don’t want to see their parents in nursing homes, providing a space for ageing parents at home is a popular solution.

Some elderly folk may not want to live on their own, may miss being near their family or need help with daily tasks – another reason ancillary accommodation or granny annexes are a good solution. Grannies may be the term most associated with ancillary accommodation but there are lots of reasons people may need extra living space on their property.

Annexes and extensions can be used as accommodation for disabled family members who have a degree of independence but may still need help in some areas. There has even been a recent trend in the UK of would-be first-time buyers living in ancillary dwellings and annexes on a parent’s property.

Ancillary Accommodation Planning

Ancillary accommodation is a planning or legal term. In addition to being a bit of a mouthful, the term is only really used when it comes down to thinking about planning additional living space on your property.

Whether you call it a granny annexe or granny flat, your ancillary building will likely need planning permission from your Local Planning Authority.

This can be a stressful part of the process for many people when it comes to building additional accommodation. You just want to know the costs and provide a home for a relative, but it can become easy to get bogged down with the ins and outs of planning law.

That’s why here at iHUS, we provide a full planning service for our customers. Choosing us to build your granny annexe means that you don’t have to deal with the paperwork and can get on with your life while we do the work in the background.

Granny annexe planning can be complex so we aim to make it simple.

For more information or if you have any questions, please get in touch.