Garden Plots and New Homes in Richmond upon Thames

Planning authority: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Postcodes: SW14, TW1, TW2, TW9, TW10
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 Richmond upon Thames

Not every plot we consider is a garden. Garage courts, lock-up blocks, old workshops and yards behind houses in Richmond upon Thames 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 Richmond upon Thames

Planning applications for new homes in gardens in Richmond upon Thames are decided by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its decisions follow the council’s Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Officers usually focus on access, privacy, daylight, the character of the street and the garden left for both homes. Many councils use separation guides of around 21 metres between facing back windows and around 12 to 15 metres between a back window and a blank side wall, but the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames’s own guidance decides. We prepare the application with care; the decision is always the council’s.

This section is worked out for the latitude of Richmond upon Thames: around 39° of sun at midday in late March and about 15° at midwinter. It shows why the gap between your house and a new home behind it is about light as well as privacy. Garden assumed to face north.

What we can do in Richmond upon Thames

Sell or partner

Design and build

By plot type

What happens next

If you’d like to talk it through first, call us. There’s no script and no hard sell. We’ll ask a few questions about your plot in Richmond upon Thames, explain how the free appraisal works and answer what we can on the spot. If it makes sense to go further, we’ll agree the next step together; if it doesn’t, you’ve lost nothing.

Questions about garden plots in Richmond upon Thames

How do you stop a new home in Richmond upon Thames overshadowing the neighbours?

By testing the layout against the sun and the council’s guidance. At midday on 21 March the sun in Richmond upon Thames is about 39° up, so a 5 m eaves line casts a shadow of roughly 6.3 m; in December it is far lower. Spacing, roof height, orientation and single-storey designs all help keep light where it belongs.

Do you look at garage courts and yards in Richmond upon Thames?

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 I team up with my neighbours in Richmond upon Thames?

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.

Is there a charge for assessing my plot in Richmond upon Thames?

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.

Backland development in Richmond upon Thames