- Nation
- England
- Planning authorities
- 3
- Towns we cover
- 12
- City
- Bath
Sell, partner or build in Somerset
There are two broad routes for garden land in Somerset. If you want to keep your house and step back from the development, you can sell the plot to us, with or without planning, or agree a sale subject to planning, an option, promotion or a joint venture. If you want to keep the land as well, we can design, seek planning for and build a new home on it for you to sell, let or use for family.
Sell or partner
- Sell part of your garden in Somerset
- Sell subject to planning in Somerset
- Garden plot option agreement in Somerset
- Planning promotion for your garden plot in Somerset
- Joint venture on your garden plot in Somerset
- Combine gardens with your neighbours in Somerset
Design and build
- Build a new home in your garden in Somerset
- Planning permission for a garden plot in Somerset
- Build a home for family in your garden in Somerset
- Plot feasibility and design in Somerset
By plot type
- Large rear gardens in Somerset
- Corner and side plots in Somerset
- Garage courts and yards in Somerset
- Tandem and landlocked plots in Somerset
- Bungalows on large plots in Somerset
The planning picture in Somerset
Councils in Somerset ask the same broad questions of any backland scheme, though each answers them through its own Local Plan. Can cars get in and out safely, without unfair disturbance to neighbours? Will the new home overlook anyone or take their light? Does it fit the pattern of the area, with enough garden left for both homes? Are trees, wildlife, parking, bins and drainage properly handled? On top of that, the design has to allow for 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). The scheme must also take account of biodiversity net gain rules.
Planning authorities: Bath and North East Somerset Council, North Somerset Council, Somerset Council.
Towns in Somerset
- Bath
- Weston-super-Mare
- Taunton
- Yeovil
- Bridgwater
- Portishead
- Frome
- Burnham-on-Sea
- Clevedon
- Nailsea
- Keynsham
- Wells
Questions about garden plots in Somerset
Which council decides planning for a garden plot in Somerset?
The council for your address decides. The planning authorities covering Somerset include Bath and North East Somerset Council, North Somerset Council and Somerset Council. Each judges applications against its own Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), together with its design guidance. We prepare and submit the application and deal with the council’s questions, but the decision is always the council’s, never ours.
How long does planning take for a garden plot in Somerset?
The council usually has eight weeks from validation to decide a small application, though extensions are often agreed, and the whole process takes longer. Surveys, design work, pre-application advice and amendments all add time, and some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year. We’ll give you a realistic timetable for your plot rather than a promise.
Can neighbours in Somerset combine their gardens?
Yes. Putting two or more adjoining back gardens together can allow one shared access and a better layout than separate plots. Each owner keeps their house. The owners usually sign a collaboration agreement, with an equalisation clause so that value is shared fairly even though only one garden provides the access. Each household should take its own legal advice.
Can you build a new home in my garden in Somerset for me to keep?
Yes. Through our design and build route we survey your plot, design a new home with you, apply for planning and, once permission is granted, build it. You keep the land and the new home, to sell, let or use for family. You get a written quote after design and survey, and any earlier guide price is a guide only.