- Planning authority
- North Hertfordshire District Council
- Postcodes
- SG6
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.4 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hertfordshire
Letchworth Garden City: light, access and policy
In Letchworth Garden City, applications for a new home in a garden are decided by North Hertfordshire District Council, which weighs them against the council’s Local Plan and national policy. Officers look at access, privacy, daylight, parking, bins, drainage and how much garden is left for each house, and neighbours can comment during consultation.
We read the local policies and any design guidance before drawing a line, and check the planning history of nearby plots for decisions that show how the council has applied them. If the policy picture is uncertain, pre-application advice lets us test the scheme with officers before the formal application goes in.
The next steps, locally
From appraisal to a decision from North Hertfordshire District Council, each step in Letchworth Garden City is agreed before it starts. After the site visit we quote for survey and design; after design we prepare the application; after permission we deal with conditions and technical approvals and give you a written build quote. Each stage is a separate decision for you, with its cost set out first.
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.
- A build next door means months of noise, deliveries and contractors near your home; good planning reduces the disruption but doesn’t remove it.
- 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.
Your questions, answered for Letchworth Garden City
How long does planning take for a new home in a Letchworth Garden City 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 Letchworth Garden City?
North Hertfordshire District Council decides applications for addresses in Letchworth Garden City, 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 I build a house in my Letchworth Garden City garden and then sell it?
Yes. You keep the land while the home is built, then sell the finished house. Before building starts, the plot should be given its own title through a transfer of part at HM Land Registry, and if your house is mortgaged your lender must agree to release the plot. Selling a home you’ve built can change your tax position, so take advice from a tax adviser first.
Do you visit gardens in Letchworth Garden City 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.
Other options in Letchworth Garden City
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Large rear gardens
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Plot feasibility and design
- Sell subject to planning