- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 2
- County town
- Dorchester
Getting it right in Dorset
Garden schemes in Dorset are read against the council’s Local Plan and the council’s design guide or supplementary planning document, and wording differs between authorities, so a layout approved in one place may need rethinking elsewhere. Common themes are the height of the new home compared with its neighbours, the gap between facing windows, the size of the gardens left behind, and whether the plot follows the established pattern of the street. Paid pre-application advice can be worthwhile where policy is strict or the plot is unusual in shape.
Planning authorities covering Dorset include BCP Council, Dorset Council.
How it works
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.
Planning and approvals
We submit the planning application and manage it to a decision, then deal with conditions, Building Regulations approval, the structural warranty, any build-over agreement and the new utility connections.
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.
Build in your garden in towns across Dorset
Questions about build in your garden in Dorset
Do you build new homes in gardens across the Dorset area?
Yes. We offer garden design and build across Dorset, from the first appraisal to handover. We’re a new brand within the S&K Group, so rather than pointing to past jobs we set out a clear process: a free appraisal, a measured survey and design, a planning application, and a written build quote once the plot’s real costs are known.
What does a garden design and build cost in the Dorset area?
There’s no standard figure, because cost depends on access, foundations, services, specification and size rather than on the county. Guide price ranges are on our prices page and are guides only. You receive a written quote after design and survey, with fees, warranty, connections and any Community Infrastructure Levy listed separately.
Do Dorset planning rules allow new homes in back gardens?
There’s no blanket ban. National policy in England (the NPPF) and the local Local Plan set the tests: access, character, privacy, daylight, garden space, trees, parking and drainage. A home that respects the street and its neighbours has a fair hearing; one squeezed onto too small a plot is likely to struggle. Even a well-designed scheme depends on the council’s decision.
Do I need my own solicitor to sell a plot in Dorset?
Yes, always. Your solicitor checks the contract, deals with the transfer of part at HM Land Registry and asks your mortgage lender to release the plot if the house is mortgaged. On option and promotion agreements we cover your reasonable legal fees, with the cap agreed in heads of terms before work starts.