- Planning authority
- Rother District Council
- Postcodes
- TN39, TN40
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- East Sussex
What shapes a plot in Bexhill-on-Sea
Daylight is one of the first things Rother District Council will check on a garden house. At midday on 21 March the sun in Bexhill-on-Sea stands roughly 39° above the horizon, so an eaves line about 5 m high casts a shadow of around 6.1 m. On 21 December the sun is only about 16° up and shadows stretch far longer.
That’s why the gap between your house and the new one, and the height of the new roof, are set by measurement rather than guesswork. A lower eaves line, a hipped roof or a single-storey section can make a real difference to the gardens either side.
The next steps, locally
Once you ask for an appraisal of your Bexhill-on-Sea garden, we start with the paperwork: the title plan, any covenants, flood maps, tree and conservation designations, and planning decisions on nearby plots. A short call follows, then a site visit if the plot passes the desk check. You get our straight view of what’s realistic and what happens next, with no obligation to go further.
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.
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.
- You fund the build and carry the cost risk; ground conditions, sewer diversions or supply upgrades found later can move the price.
- A build next door means months of noise, deliveries and contractors near your home; good planning reduces the disruption but doesn’t remove it.
Questions about garden plots in Bexhill-on-Sea
Can I build a house in my garden in Bexhill-on-Sea and keep the land?
Yes. On our design and build route you remain the owner while we design the home, apply to Rother District Council for planning, deal with Building Regulations and build it. The finished house can be sold, let or kept for family. Whether your plot can take a house depends on access, space, neighbours and local policy, and the decision rests with the council.
How close can a new house be to my own in Bexhill-on-Sea?
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 Rother District Council decides. Window positions, ground levels, roof shape and screening all affect what is acceptable, which is why we survey before we design.
Do you visit gardens in Bexhill-on-Sea before giving advice?
We start with a desk review of the title plan, access, constraints and planning policy, then talk the plot through with you. If it looks viable, we arrange a site visit to see the access, levels, trees and neighbouring windows for ourselves. The appraisal is free and carries no obligation.
Do new homes in Bexhill-on-Sea need a structural warranty?
If the house will ever be sold or mortgaged, in practice yes. Mortgage lenders usually expect a 10-year structural warranty on a new home, though some accept an architect’s or surveyor’s certificate, and a warranty provider inspects the work at stages during the build, so it has to be in place before construction starts. Building control approval is separate and also required; a buyer’s solicitor will ask for both.
Other options in Bexhill-on-Sea
- Bungalows on large plots
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Corner and side plots

