Backland development in Rhondda

Building a new home behind your own house in Rhondda 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 Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, 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
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Postcodes
CF40, CF41, CF42, CF43
Noon sun, 21 March
About 38°
Noon sun, 21 December
About 15°
Planning plan
LDP
County
Mid Glamorgan

The kinds of plot we look at in Rhondda

A bungalow on a big plot gives you more choices than most homes. You might keep the bungalow and build a new home beside or behind it, or replace it with two or more homes if the council would support that. We also look at long back gardens, corner plots, garage courts, yards and land with tricky access across Rhondda and nearby places such as Mountain Ash, Aberdare and Pontypridd. The free appraisal shows which of these choices are realistic for your land, and what each would involve.

Planning and light in Rhondda

Daylight is one of the first things Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council will look at on a garden plot. At midday on 21 March the sun in Rhondda sits about 38° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line around 5 metres high throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. On 21 December the midday sun is only about 15° up and shadows are far longer. That’s why the gap between the existing house and the new one, and the height of the new roof, matter so much. We test layouts against the council’s Local Development Plan (LDP) and any daylight guidance it publishes before anything is submitted.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Rhondda: about 38 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 38°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.8 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Rhondda: around 38° 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 Rhondda

Sell or partner

Design and build

By plot type

What happens next

Getting a first view of your plot in Rhondda 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 Rhondda

How long does a garden plot deal in Rhondda 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 Rhondda?

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.

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

Who decides planning for a new home in a garden in Rhondda?

The decision is made by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, using the council’s Local Development Plan (LDP), PPW 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.

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.