Mike Dade takes a closer look at the main things to think about before applying for planning consent to build on a garden site

Mike Dade

Gardens can provide ideal self-build plots, especially if the patch in question already belongs to you. This route to land avoids the tedious business of actually having to find and buy a site, and enables you to live in the comfort of your existing home while the works take place. But even if you’re not so lucky as to own a plot big enough to provide a building site, the country is awash with gardens and many a good plot is carved out of them. So, what are the planning rules and restrictions surrounding this and what particular considerations apply?

How do I know if my garden can be built on?

Planning policies remain somewhat polarised between built up areas (whether cities, towns or villages) and the countryside. Be aware that the latter is generally defined in a council’s Local Plan (LP) and is likely to include the edges of settlements, smaller villages and hamlets.

Within zones considered to be built up, LP policies often allow new, small scale development and infilling – subject to detailed criteria. But in countryside regions, local authorities are generally against the idea of new construction, subject to a few exceptions (most of which don’t usually apply to garden plots).

After self-building a traditional-style house, Pat and Tony Priestley decided to divide their garden into two and have another go at constructing a bespoke home right next door

DAVID BURTON