- Planning authority
- Isle of Wight Council
- Postcodes
- PO37
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Isle of Wight
How it plays out in Shanklin
Daylight is one of the first things Isle of Wight Council will check on a garden house. At midday on 21 March the sun in Shanklin 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.
From first call to decision
From appraisal to a decision from Isle of Wight Council, each step in Shanklin 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.
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.
Worth checking early
- 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.
- You fund the build and carry the cost risk; ground conditions, sewer diversions or supply upgrades found later can move the price.
- Your own garden gets smaller and the new home will be visible from your house, so screening and separation matter for both homes.
Questions about garden plots in Shanklin
Who decides planning for a garden house in Shanklin?
Isle of Wight Council decides applications for addresses in Shanklin, 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.
How close can a new house be to my own in Shanklin?
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 Isle of Wight Council decides. Window positions, ground levels, roof shape and screening all affect what is acceptable, which is why we survey before we design.
Can the new home in my Shanklin 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.
Can I build a house in my garden in Shanklin and keep the land?
Yes. On our design and build route you remain the owner while we design the home, apply to Isle of Wight 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.
Other options in Shanklin
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Corner and side plots
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Plot feasibility and design

