Insulated Panel Cabin 4ft × 4ft
1.10 × 1.10 m · 4ft × 4ft · H 2.35 m
- Our lowest-cost guard booth
- Sandwich-panel insulated walls
- Light enough for a small crane
£2,290 + VAT
£2,748 inc VAT
Planning guide
Do you need planning permission for a security cabin?
A plain-English guide to planning permission and building regulations for security cabins and security huts in England, based on the official rules — with the points to check with your council.
- England rules explained
- Temporary vs permanent
- Building regulations exemptions
- When to get a Lawful Development Certificate
Prices online
Sizes and prices
Prices are shown + VAT, the way trade buyers expect, with the inc-VAT figure underneath. Delivery is quoted by postcode with your written quote.
GRP Security Hut 5ft × 5ft
1.50 × 1.50 m · 5ft × 5ft · H 2.40 m
- One-piece moulded GRP shell
- Window, door, lights and sockets fitted
- Arrives assembled — lift into place
£3,890 + VAT
£4,668 inc VAT
GRP Cabin 9ft × 7ft
2.15 × 2.70 m · 9ft × 7ft · H 2.40 m
- Two-person gatehouse size
- Panoramic windows
- Arrives assembled
£5,890 + VAT
£7,068 inc VAT
Composite Gatehouse 7ft × 7ft
2.15 × 2.15 m · 7ft × 7ft · H 2.75 m
- Two-person gatehouse
- Composite cladding
- Canopy roof
£8,990 + VAT
£10,788 inc VAT
The short answer
It depends on whether the cabin is temporary or permanent, and where it stands. In England, a temporary security cabin needed for building work on a construction site is usually permitted development, so no planning application is needed. A permanent security hut or gatehouse at a business entrance is a new building and often does need planning permission, unless a specific permitted development class covers it.
This guide summarises the official sources: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (the GPDO), The Building Regulations 2010 and guidance on the Planning Portal. It is general information, not legal advice. Your local planning authority makes the decision, so always check with your council before you order a permanent cabin.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. Each has its own planning legislation and permitted development rules, so the England classes below do not automatically apply there. Check with the local planning authority for the site.
Temporary site cabins on construction sites
Schedule 2, Part 4, Class A of the GPDO grants permitted development for buildings, moveable structures, works, plant or machinery that are needed temporarily in connection with operations being carried out on that land or on adjoining land, for the duration of those operations. This is the rule that usually covers site cabins, welfare units and portable security cabins on building sites.
- The cabin must be needed for the operations and stay only for their duration.
- When the operations finish, the cabin must be removed and any adjoining land used must be reinstated to its previous condition as soon as reasonably practicable.
- It does not apply if the operations themselves need planning permission that has not been granted, or if they are mining operations.
- A security hut kept at a yard or depot permanently is not covered by Part 4 just because it is portable — what counts is the purpose and the duration.
Permanent gatehouses and security huts at business premises
There is no permitted development class written specifically for security gatehouses. The class most often discussed for business sites is Schedule 2, Part 7, Class H: the erection, extension or alteration of an industrial building or a warehouse. A new building under Class H must be within the curtilage of an existing industrial building or warehouse and used for the purposes of the undertaking. Offices, shops, hotels and other non-industrial premises are not covered by Class H at all.
The catch for gatehouses is the boundary rule. A security gatehouse normally sits at the entrance, right next to the gate, the fence or the road, but under Class H no part of the development may be within 5 m of any boundary. A hut at the site boundary will therefore often fall outside Class H, even on an industrial estate.
In those cases the usual route is a planning application to your local planning authority. Security huts and security gatehouses are small buildings, and the drawing that comes with your written quote (footprint, height, doors and windows) can be used with your site plan; your council will tell you what else the application needs.
If you believe a permitted development class does apply, you can ask the council for a Lawful Development Certificate for proposed development. The Planning Portal explains that an LDC confirms a proposal does not need planning permission; it is not compulsory, there is a fee, and councils should decide applications within eight weeks.
For reference, the main Class H limits for a new building are:
- a floor area of up to 200 m² for a new building (100 m² on Article 2(3) land or a Site of Special Scientific Interest);
- a height of no more than 5 m if it is within 10 m of the boundary of the curtilage;
- no part of the development within 5 m of any boundary;
- no reduction in the space available for parking or turning vehicles;
- not within the curtilage of a listed building.
Car parks and kiosks on council land
For a private car park, a permanent car park kiosk or barrier booth is usually treated like any other new building: check whether a permitted development class applies and, if not, apply for planning permission.
Councils have their own right. Schedule 2, Part 12, Class A of the GPDO lets a local authority erect small ancillary buildings on land belonging to or maintained by it for its functions, where a small ancillary building means no more than 4 m high or 200 m³ in capacity. Every cabin in our car park kiosk range is well under 4 m tall, but this right belongs to the local authority — a private operator on leased land should confirm the position with the council.
Height, highways, listed buildings and conservation areas
Even where a permitted development class applies, the GPDO takes the right away in some situations. Article 3 says permitted development does not authorise work that creates an obstruction to the view of people using a highway used by vehicles so as to be likely to cause danger, or that forms or materially widens an access to a trunk or classified road. It also cannot override a condition on an existing planning permission. A gatehouse close to a road junction or site access is exactly where this can apply.
- Height: our GRP and panel cabins stand 2.35–2.45 m, canopy and composite cabins 2.75 m and BR7 bulletproof cabins 3.00 m — all below the 5 m Class H limit near a boundary and the 4 m Part 12 limit.
- Listed buildings: Class H does not apply within the curtilage of a listed building, and works affecting a listed building or its setting may also need listed building consent.
- Conservation areas and other Article 2(3) land: this includes conservation areas, National Parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty. Permitted development limits are tighter there, so ask the council first.
- Article 4 directions and existing conditions: a council can remove permitted development rights in an area, and a condition on your site's planning permission may restrict new buildings.
Building regulations for small detached buildings
Building regulations are separate from planning. Schedule 2 of The Building Regulations 2010 lists buildings that are exempt, including:
- Class III — temporary buildings: a building not intended to remain where it is erected for more than 28 days.
- Class VI — small detached buildings: a detached building with a floor area of no more than 15 m² and no sleeping accommodation; or a single-storey detached building of no more than 30 m² with no sleeping accommodation that is at least 1 m from the boundary of its curtilage or built substantially of non-combustible material.
| Cabin | Footprint | Floor area | Under 15 m²? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insulated panel cabin 4ft × 4ft | 1.10 × 1.10 m | 1.2 m² | Yes |
| GRP security hut 5ft × 5ft | 1.50 × 1.50 m | 2.3 m² | Yes |
| GRP cabin 9ft × 9ft | 2.70 × 2.70 m | 7.3 m² | Yes |
| Composite gatehouse 9ft × 9ft | 2.65 × 2.65 m | 7.0 m² | Yes |
| Bulletproof cabin 16ft × 10ft | 3.00 × 5.00 m | 15 m² | At the limit |
| Container office 3 × 7 m | 3.00 × 7.00 m | 21 m² | No — check the 30 m² conditions |
Electrics: Part P and a qualified electrician
Every cabin arrives with lights, sockets and a consumer unit fitted; the incoming supply is connected on site. Part P of the Building Regulations (electrical safety) applies to dwellings. Under regulation 9 of The Building Regulations 2010, Part P still applies to an exempt small detached building if it takes its electricity from a source shared with or located inside a dwelling — for example a gatehouse fed from a house on the same plot.
At business premises Part P does not normally apply, but the connection must still be safe. Use a qualified electrician who will test the installation and give you a certificate. If you plan a WC or a gas heater, ask your building control body before you start.
Checklist before you order
Once you know the planning position, compare sizes, materials and prices in our security cabin buying guide or see the full range of security cabins. Then work through these points and send your inquiry with the answers:
- Temporary (for building work) or permanent?
- Is the site industrial or warehouse, or office, retail, car park or council land?
- How far is the cabin from the boundary, the road and the site access?
- Is the site listed, in a conservation area or other Article 2(3) land?
- Does an existing planning condition or Article 4 direction apply?
- Floor area under 15 m², or 15–30 m² with the 1 m boundary or non-combustible condition?
- Who will connect the power?
- If in doubt: ask the council, or apply for a Lawful Development Certificate.
Straight answers
Questions buyers ask us
Do I need planning permission for a security hut?
Not usually for a temporary hut needed for building work on a construction site, which is covered by Part 4, Class A of the GPDO. A permanent hut or gatehouse often does need permission, unless a permitted development class such as Part 7, Class H applies. Check with your local planning authority.
Do I need planning permission for a portable cabin?
Being portable does not change the answer. What counts is how long it stays and what it is for. A cabin needed temporarily for building operations is usually permitted development; one kept permanently at a depot is normally treated as a building.
Can a gatehouse be put up under industrial permitted development?
Sometimes, but Class H does not allow any part of the development within 5 m of any boundary, and gatehouses usually sit at the boundary. Many gatehouses therefore need a planning application.
Does a security cabin need building regulations approval?
A detached building of no more than 15 m² with no sleeping accommodation is usually exempt under Schedule 2 of The Building Regulations 2010. Most security huts are well under 15 m². Larger cabins up to 30 m² can be exempt if they meet the boundary or non-combustible conditions.
What is a Lawful Development Certificate?
A certificate from your council confirming that a proposal does not need planning permission. It is not compulsory, but it gives you written proof. You can apply through the Planning Portal; there is a fee.
Are the rules the same in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
No. Each has its own planning legislation. This guide covers England only, so check with the local planning authority for the site.
Can you supply drawings for a planning application?
Yes. Your written quote comes with a drawing showing the footprint, height, doors and windows, which you can use with your site plan.
Related ranges
Not sure which one? Ask us.
Tell us what it's for, where it's going and roughly when. We reply with a written quote by email.