- Nation
- England
- Planning authorities
- 4
- Towns we cover
- 13
- City
- Durham
Sell, partner or build in County Durham
Selling and building aren’t the only choices; you can also sit somewhere in between. A joint venture lets you put in the land while, in the usual structure, we fund and manage design, planning and the build, with you sharing in the outcome, for example through a share of the sale proceeds or a new home back. Owners in County Durham who want less involvement can sell outright, and those who want more can keep the land and have us build for them.
Sell or partner
- Sell part of your garden in County Durham
- Sell subject to planning in County Durham
- Garden plot option agreement in County Durham
- Planning promotion for your garden plot in County Durham
- Joint venture on your garden plot in County Durham
- Combine gardens with your neighbours in County Durham
Design and build
- Build a new home in your garden in County Durham
- Planning permission for a garden plot in County Durham
- Build a home for family in your garden in County Durham
- Plot feasibility and design in County Durham
By plot type
- Large rear gardens in County Durham
- Corner and side plots in County Durham
- Garage courts and yards in County Durham
- Tandem and landlocked plots in County Durham
- Bungalows on large plots in County Durham
The planning picture in County Durham
Planning applications in County Durham are decided by the council for your address. The planning authorities covering County Durham include Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Hartlepool Borough Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, and each judges garden schemes against its own Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Officers usually look hardest at access, privacy, daylight, the character of the street and the garden left for the existing house. Many councils use separation guides of around 21 metres between facing back windows, though your council’s own guidance decides. We read those policies for your plot before recommending anything, and the final decision is always the council’s.
Planning authorities: Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Hartlepool Borough Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
Towns in County Durham
- Darlington
- Hartlepool
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Durham
- Chester-le-Street
- Billingham
- Stanley
- Consett
- Newton Aycliffe
- Bishop Auckland
- Seaham
- Peterlee
- Spennymoor
Questions about garden plots in County Durham
Which council decides planning for a garden plot in County Durham?
The council for your address decides. The planning authorities covering County Durham include Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Hartlepool Borough Council and Stockton-on-Tees 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 County Durham?
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.
Can neighbours in County Durham combine their gardens?
Yes. Putting two or more adjoining back gardens together can allow one shared access and a better layout than separate plots. Each owner keeps their house. The owners usually sign a collaboration agreement, with an equalisation clause so that value is shared fairly even though only one garden provides the access. Each household should take its own legal advice.
Can you build a new home in my garden in County Durham 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.