Garden Plots and New Homes in Freshwater

Planning authority: Isle of Wight Council
Postcodes: PO39, PO40
Noon sun, 21 March: About 39°
Noon sun, 21 December: About 16°
Planning plan: Local Plan
County: Isle of Wight

The kinds of plot we look at in Freshwater

Sometimes the plot that works isn’t a single garden at all. Two or three adjoining back gardens in Freshwater 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 Freshwater

The rules for a new home in Freshwater come from three levels. Nationally there is the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Locally, the council’s Local Plan sets the policies Isle of Wight Council applies, alongside its own guidance on design, parking and gardens. Then the build itself must meet the Building Regulations. That brings in practical matters such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough), and rainwater drainage usually calls for a drainage plan the council will want to see. Any purchase of the plot falls under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We work through each level for your plot at the start, so there are fewer late surprises once the planning application is under way.

This section is worked out for the latitude of Freshwater: around 39° of sun at midday in late March and about 16° 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 Freshwater

Sell or partner

Design and build

By plot type

What happens next

Getting a first view of your plot in Freshwater costs nothing. Send us the address through the form, or give us a call, and we’ll check access, size, title and the planning picture from our desk. If it looks promising, we’ll visit, explain the routes that could work and put the main terms in writing before you’re asked to decide anything.

Questions about garden plots in Freshwater

What happens if planning is refused for a plot in Freshwater?

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 Isle of Wight Council gave and tell you honestly whether a revised application, an appeal or stopping is the sensible choice. Nothing about your own house changes.

Is there a charge for assessing my plot in Freshwater?

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.

How long does a garden plot deal in Freshwater 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 I sell part of my garden in Freshwater?

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 Isle of Wight Council grants permission. If planning is refused on a conditional sale, you keep your land.

Backland development in Freshwater