Backland development in Croydon

Building a new home behind your own house in Croydon is a big decision, and the right answer isn’t always to build. For some owners, selling the plot and staying put is simplest. For others, keeping the land and adding a home to sell, let or give to family makes more sense.

We offer both kinds of route, so our advice isn’t steered towards one of them. A free garden plot appraisal looks at access, space, title, trees and the planning position with the London Borough of Croydon, and then we talk through which options suit your plot and your plans. There’s no charge, no pressure and nothing to sign until you’re ready, with your own solicitor beside you.

Planning authority
London Borough of Croydon
Postcodes
CR0, CR2, CR7, CR8, CR9
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Noon sun, 21 December
About 15°
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Greater London

The kinds of plot we look at in Croydon

Sometimes the plot that works isn’t a single garden at all. Two or three adjoining back gardens in Croydon can often be combined into one scheme with one shared access, giving a better layout than any of them alone. Each owner keeps their house, and a collaboration agreement with an equalisation clause shares the value fairly. If your own garden is too narrow or too short to work on its own, it’s worth asking whether the neighbours might be interested too.

Planning and light in Croydon

Small planning applications in Croydon are usually decided by planning officers at the London Borough of Croydon under delegated powers, and national and council rules set out when, if ever, one goes to a planning committee instead. Either way, the application is judged on material considerations such as overlooking, daylight, highway safety and design, not on loss of a view or property values. A well-evidenced application that clearly addresses the policies in the council’s Local Plan gives your plot the fairest hearing. We prepare it with you and keep you informed; the decision rests with the council.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Croydon: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.4 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Croydon on 21 March sits about 39° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. In December the sun is only about 15° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

What we can do in Croydon

Sell or partner

Design and build

By plot type

What happens next

When you’re ready, tell us about your land in Croydon. 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 Croydon

How long does a garden plot deal in Croydon 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.

Can you build a house in my back garden in Croydon 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.

Can I team up with my neighbours in Croydon?

Yes, and it can make a weak plot workable. Combining adjoining gardens can allow one shared access and a better layout. Each owner keeps their house, and a collaboration agreement sets out decisions, costs and how value is shared through equalisation. Every household should have its own solicitor.

Can I sell part of my garden in Croydon?

Often, yes, if the plot is big enough, has a workable access and stands a reasonable chance of planning. We buy suitable plots directly, with or without planning, subject to survey, title and contract, or agree a sale that only completes if the London Borough of Croydon grants permission. If planning is refused on a conditional sale, you keep your land.

Nearby

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.