- Planning authority
- Epping Forest District Council
- Postcodes
- IG7, IG9, IG10
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Noon sun, 21 December
- About 15°
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Essex
The kinds of plot we look at in Loughton
Not every plot we consider is a garden. Garage courts, lock-up blocks, old workshops and yards behind houses in Loughton can sometimes take a new home, particularly where a vehicle access already exists. These sites raise their own questions, such as who owns the access, whether anyone else has rights over it and what the ground was used for before. Alongside them, we consider long back gardens, wide side gardens, corner plots and bungalows on large plots, each judged on its own access, space and planning position.
Planning and light in Loughton
Shadows tell a council a lot about a garden plot. In Loughton, the noon sun on 21 December reaches only about 15° above the horizon, while by 21 March it has climbed to around 38°, when a 5 m eaves line casts a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. On a garden plot anywhere in IG7, IG9 and IG10, that difference shapes how far apart the old and new homes need to be, which windows face which way, and whether a single-storey or roof-lit design would sit more comfortably. Planning officers at Epping Forest District Council will expect those effects on neighbours to be understood before they decide.
What we can do in Loughton
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
The next step is simple. Use the form or call us with your Loughton address and, if you can, a rough idea of the garden’s length, width and how a vehicle might reach it. We’ll do a desktop check, talk it through with you and arrange a site visit if the plot looks viable. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Questions about garden plots in Loughton
What happens if planning is refused for a plot in Loughton?
If you agreed a sale subject to planning, the contract doesn’t complete and you keep your land. We’ll then look at the reasons Epping Forest District Council gave and tell you honestly whether a revised application, an appeal or stopping is the sensible choice. Nothing about your own house changes.
How long does a garden plot deal in Loughton 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.
Is there a charge for assessing my plot in Loughton?
No. The garden plot appraisal is free and carries no obligation. We do a desktop check of access, size, title and the planning picture, talk it through with you and arrange a site visit if it looks viable. You can stop at any point without owing anything.
Who decides planning for a new home in a garden in Loughton?
The decision is made by Epping Forest District Council, using the council’s Local Plan, the NPPF and its own design guidance. Small schemes are usually decided by planning officers, and national and council rules set out when one can go to a planning committee instead. We prepare and submit the application and answer the council’s questions, but we can’t promise the outcome.