- Planning authority
- Milton Keynes City Council
- Postcodes
- MK1, MK2, MK3, MK17
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.4 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Buckinghamshire
How it plays out in Bletchley
Wherever your house sits across MK1, MK2, MK3 and MK17, a new home behind it needs water, power and two kinds of drainage — one for waste, one for rain. We contact the utility providers early, because a long cable run, a sewer at the wrong depth or a public pipe under the lawn can change both the layout and the cost.
Rain from the new roof and drive has to be dealt with on site, and Milton Keynes City Council will want to see how. Where a public sewer crosses your garden, the water company may also need a build-over agreement before work starts, so we check sewer records at appraisal stage.
What happens next in Bletchley
If your Bletchley plot already has planning permission, we begin by checking the approved drawings and conditions against the site. Some permissions need detailed design, discharge of conditions or a minor amendment before they can be built. We then prepare the technical drawings, arrange Building Regulations approval and the warranty, apply for utility connections and give you a written quote to build.
Free plot appraisal
We check the title plan, access, constraints and planning policy from our desk, talk the plot through with you, and visit if it looks viable. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Survey and design
A measured survey records levels, boundaries, trees and neighbouring windows. We then design a layout and house that suit the plot, the street and your budget, and decide whether pre-application advice is worth seeking.
Written quote and build
Once design and survey are complete you get a written quote. The build runs in stages — access and groundworks, foundations, frame and roof, fit-out and external works — with inspections at each key point.
Handover
You receive the completion certificate, warranty documents, Energy Performance Certificate, manuals and utility details, so the new home is ready to move into, let or put on the market.
Worth checking early
- Your own garden gets smaller and the new home will be visible from your house, so screening and separation matter for both homes.
- Planning can be refused, and money spent on surveys, design and the application isn’t recovered if it is — which is why we start with an appraisal.
- Building and selling a new home can change your tax position compared with selling only your house; take advice from a tax adviser first.
Your questions, answered for Bletchley
How close can a new house be to my own in Bletchley?
There’s no single national distance. 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 the guidance used by Milton Keynes City Council decides. Window positions, ground levels, roof shape and screening all affect what is acceptable, which is why we survey before we design.
How long does planning take for a new home in a Bletchley garden?
The statutory period for deciding a minor application, such as a single new home, is 8 weeks from the date the council receives a valid application, in both England and Wales. In practice many applications take longer, and the council may ask you to agree an extension in writing. Surveys and design before submission add time, and conditions may need approving afterwards.
Who decides planning for a garden house in Bletchley?
Milton Keynes City Council decides applications for addresses in Bletchley, using the council’s Local Plan, national policy and its own design guidance. Neighbours and consultees such as highways officers can comment, and the decision is made by the council’s planning officers or, where the rules allow, its planning committee. Pre-application advice from the council can help test a scheme before the formal application is submitted.
Can the new home in my Bletchley garden connect to the main sewer?
Usually, yes, but the route and depth decide how easily. The new home needs its own foul connection, agreed with the water company, and gravity drainage is simplest where the sewer sits lower than the new floor. If it doesn’t, a pumped connection may be needed. Where a public sewer runs under your garden, a build-over agreement or diversion may also be required.
Other options in Bletchley
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Bungalows on large plots
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Garden plot option agreement
- Planning promotion for your garden plot