- Planning authority
- BCP Council
- Postcodes
- BH1, BH2, BH3, BH4, BH5
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Noon sun, 21 December
- About 16°
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Dorset
The kinds of plot we look at in Bournemouth
In Bournemouth we look at most kinds of land behind and beside houses. That includes long back gardens, the classic backland plot; wide side gardens and corner plots, which often have their own frontage; garage courts, lock-up blocks and old yards; land with narrow, shared or no access; and bungalows on large plots, which can sometimes take a second home alongside or be replaced with several new ones. Size matters, but access usually matters more, and the free appraisal checks both.
Planning and light in Bournemouth
Daylight is one of the first things BCP Council will look at on a garden plot. At midday on 21 March the sun in Bournemouth sits about 39° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line around 5 metres high throws a shadow of roughly 6.1 m. On 21 December the midday sun is only about 16° up and shadows are far longer. That’s why the gap between the existing house and the new one, and the height of the new roof, matter so much. We test layouts against the council’s Local Plan and any daylight guidance it publishes before anything is submitted.
What we can do in Bournemouth
Sell or partner
- Sell part of your garden
- Sell subject to planning
- Garden plot option agreement
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
Design and build
- Build a new home in your garden
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Plot feasibility and design
By plot type
- Large rear gardens
- Corner and side plots
- Garage courts and yards
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Bungalows on large plots
What happens next
When you’re ready, tell us about your land in Bournemouth. A few photos help but aren’t essential. We’ll come back with a straight view of whether the plot could take a new home and which routes might suit you, from a sale to design and build. If it’s not a good fit, we’ll say so, and there’s nothing to pay either way.
Questions about garden plots in Bournemouth
How do you stop a new home in Bournemouth overshadowing the neighbours?
By testing the layout against the sun and the council’s guidance. At midday on 21 March the sun in Bournemouth is about 39° up, so a 5 m eaves line casts a shadow of roughly 6.1 m; in December it is far lower. Spacing, roof height, orientation and single-storey designs all help keep light where it belongs.
How long does a garden plot deal in Bournemouth usually take?
It depends on the route. A sale of a plot that already has planning moves at the pace of the solicitors and your lender. Routes that need planning usually take many months, because of surveys, design, the council’s decision period and any amendments. Design and build usually takes well over a year in total.
Do you look at garage courts and yards in Bournemouth?
Yes. Garage courts, lock-up blocks, old yards and outbuildings behind houses can sometimes take a new home, especially where a vehicle access already exists. We check who owns the access, what rights others have over it and what the ground was used for, as part of the free appraisal.
Can you build a house in my back garden in Bournemouth that I keep?
Yes. Our design and build route covers the survey, design, planning application, Building Regulations, construction and handover, while the land and the new home stay yours. You can sell it, let it or use it for family. You’ll get a written quote once the design and survey are done, and any earlier price range is a guide only.