- Nation
- England
- Planning authorities
- 3
- Towns we cover
- 9
- County town
- Bedford
Sell, partner or build in Bedfordshire
There are two broad routes for garden land in Bedfordshire. If you want to keep your house and step back from the development, you can sell the plot to us, with or without planning, or agree a sale subject to planning, an option, promotion or a joint venture. If you want to keep the land as well, we can design, seek planning for and build a new home on it for you to sell, let or use for family.
Sell or partner
- Sell part of your garden in Bedfordshire
- Sell subject to planning in Bedfordshire
- Garden plot option agreement in Bedfordshire
- Planning promotion for your garden plot in Bedfordshire
- Joint venture on your garden plot in Bedfordshire
- Combine gardens with your neighbours in Bedfordshire
Design and build
- Build a new home in your garden in Bedfordshire
- Planning permission for a garden plot in Bedfordshire
- Build a home for family in your garden in Bedfordshire
- Plot feasibility and design in Bedfordshire
By plot type
- Large rear gardens in Bedfordshire
- Corner and side plots in Bedfordshire
- Garage courts and yards in Bedfordshire
- Tandem and landlocked plots in Bedfordshire
- Bungalows on large plots in Bedfordshire
The planning picture in Bedfordshire
Councils in Bedfordshire ask the same broad questions of any backland scheme, though each answers them through its own Local Plan. Can cars get in and out safely, without unfair disturbance to neighbours? Will the new home overlook anyone or take their light? Does it fit the pattern of the area, with enough garden left for both homes? Are trees, wildlife, parking, bins and drainage properly handled? On top of that, the design has to allow for fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). The scheme must also take account of biodiversity net gain rules.
Planning authorities: Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Luton Borough Council.
Towns in Bedfordshire
Questions about garden plots in Bedfordshire
Which council decides planning for a garden plot in Bedfordshire?
The council for your address decides. The planning authorities covering Bedfordshire include Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Luton Borough Council. Each judges applications against its own Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), together with its design guidance. We prepare and submit the application and deal with the council’s questions, but the decision is always the council’s, never ours.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Bedfordshire?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.
How long does planning take for a garden plot in Bedfordshire?
The council usually has eight weeks from validation to decide a small application, though extensions are often agreed, and the whole process takes longer. Surveys, design work, pre-application advice and amendments all add time, and some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year. We’ll give you a realistic timetable for your plot rather than a promise.
Can you build a new home in my garden in Bedfordshire for me to keep?
Yes. Through our design and build route we survey your plot, design a new home with you, apply for planning and, once permission is granted, build it. You keep the land and the new home, to sell, let or use for family. You get a written quote after design and survey, and any earlier guide price is a guide only.