- Planning authority
- Dover District Council
- Postcodes
- CT16, CT17
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Noon sun, 21 December
- About 15°
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
The kinds of plot we look at in Dover
Not every plot we consider is a garden. Garage courts, lock-up blocks, old workshops and yards behind houses in Dover 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 Dover
The rules for a new home in Dover come from three levels. Nationally there is the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Locally, the council’s Local Plan sets the policies Dover District 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.
What we can do in Dover
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
Getting a first view of your plot in Dover 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 Dover
Can I sell part of my garden in Dover?
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 Dover District Council grants permission. If planning is refused on a conditional sale, you keep your land.
Who decides planning for a new home in a garden in Dover?
The decision is made by Dover 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.
Do you look at garage courts and yards in Dover?
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.
Is there a charge for assessing my plot in Dover?
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.