Planners have refused to grant a man in High Wycombe permission to build a gym, shower and office room in his back garden.

They rejected the man’s application for the proposed outbuilding at 40 Mill End Rd, which he submitted to Buckinghamshire Council last month.

Officers explained to the applicant that the structure would require planning permission rather than the certificate of lawfulness he applied for.

In a decision notice, they wrote: “The submitted drawings show that the proposed building would be within 2m of the site boundary and would exceed 2.5m. Therefore, the proposed development is not permitted development and planning permission is required.”

The council added that it was not satisfied on the evidence presented to it that the garden gym and office would be ‘incidental’ to the use of the main house

Officers wrote: “The applicant has provided no justification as to why a gym and home office with independent showering facilities are reasonably required and why they could not be contained within the existing dwellinghouse.”

Floorplans showed a small square gym and office building with a rooflight, located to the rear of his two-storey, semi-detached home.

He said the outbuilding would also contain a toilet and washing, and shower facilities, and would feature a flat roof and be a maximum height of 3m.