Backland development in Dudley

Some gardens in Dudley are long enough, or wide enough, to take a new home without crowding the houses around them. Others aren’t, and it’s better to know which you have before spending money on drawings. That’s what our free garden plot appraisal is for.

We check the size and shape of the plot, how a car and a fire engine could reach it, what the title says, which trees are protected and what the council’s Local Plan says about garden land. Then we tell you plainly what we think. If it could work, we’ll explain the routes, from selling the plot to keeping it and having us build on it. If it can’t, we’ll say so.

Planning authority
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Postcodes
DY1, DY2, DY3
Noon sun, 21 March
About 38°
Noon sun, 21 December
About 14°
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
West Midlands

The kinds of plot we look at in Dudley

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

Planning applications for new homes in gardens in Dudley are decided by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. 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 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council’s own guidance decides. We prepare the application with care; the decision is always the council’s.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Dudley: about 38 degrees on 21 March and 14 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 38°, shadow 6.5 m21 Dec, noon: sun 14°, shadow 20.0 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Dudley: around 38° of sun at midday in late March and about 14° 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 Dudley

Sell or partner

Design and build

By plot type

What happens next

Getting a first view of your plot in Dudley 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 Dudley

Do you look at garage courts and yards in Dudley?

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.

How do you stop a new home in Dudley overshadowing the neighbours?

By testing the layout against the sun and the council’s guidance. At midday on 21 March the sun in Dudley is about 38° up, so a 5 m eaves line casts a shadow of roughly 6.5 m; in December it is far lower. Spacing, roof height, orientation and single-storey designs all help keep light where it belongs.

Can I team up with my neighbours in Dudley?

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 Dudley?

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.

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.