- Nation
- England
- Planning authorities
- 2
- Towns we cover
- 9
- County town
- Dorchester
Sell, partner or build in Dorset
Your route depends on how much money, time and involvement you want from your garden. A direct sale, subject to survey, title and contract, is the simplest. A conditional sale, option or promotion can reflect more of the value a planning permission adds, with nothing upfront on promotion and reasonable legal fees covered on options. Design and build keeps the land yours. We’ll explain which of these fit your plot in Dorset during the free appraisal.
Sell or partner
- Sell part of your garden in Dorset
- Sell subject to planning in Dorset
- Garden plot option agreement in Dorset
- Planning promotion for your garden plot in Dorset
- Joint venture on your garden plot in Dorset
- Combine gardens with your neighbours in Dorset
Design and build
- Build a new home in your garden in Dorset
- Planning permission for a garden plot in Dorset
- Build a home for family in your garden in Dorset
- Plot feasibility and design in Dorset
By plot type
- Large rear gardens in Dorset
- Corner and side plots in Dorset
- Garage courts and yards in Dorset
- Tandem and landlocked plots in Dorset
- Bungalows on large plots in Dorset
The planning picture in Dorset
A strong planning application in Dorset usually begins before anything is submitted. Many councils offer pre-application advice, often for a fee, which gives early feedback on a design and flags problems while they’re still cheap to fix. Small schemes are then usually decided by planning officers under delegated powers, and national and council rules set out when, if ever, one goes to a planning committee instead. The councils covering Dorset all work within their own Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Our job is a careful, well-evidenced application; the decision is theirs.
Planning authorities: BCP Council, Dorset Council.
Towns in Dorset
Questions about garden plots in Dorset
Which council decides planning for a garden plot in Dorset?
The council for your address decides. The planning authorities covering Dorset include BCP Council and Dorset 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.
Can neighbours in Dorset 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.
How long does planning take for a garden plot in Dorset?
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.
Do you buy garden plots in Dorset?
Yes. We buy suitable garden plots across Dorset directly, with or without planning permission, always subject to survey, title and contract. We also offer sales subject to planning, options, planning promotion and joint ventures. Which route fits depends on your plot, so the starting point is a free, no-obligation appraisal.