- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 6
- County town
- Reading
Before you start in Berkshire
Some of the work on a family home in Berkshire happens underground and on paper. Rainwater from the new roof and paths often needs a drainage plan the council will want to see, and biodiversity net gain rules can also apply, so a quick ecology check belongs early in the process. If a council here charges the Community Infrastructure Levy, the self-build or annexe exemption has to be claimed before anyone breaks ground, or it is lost. None of this is difficult when it is planned, but each item can hold up a start date if it is left late.
Planning authorities covering Berkshire include Bracknell Forest Council, Reading Borough Council, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough Borough Council, West Berkshire Council, Wokingham Borough Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We look at your plot, access and the planning picture from the desk, talk through who will live in the new home, and visit if it looks viable. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Annexe or separate home
We set out both routes for your plot, covering what each means for planning, ownership, council tax, CIL and VAT, so you can decide with your family and advisers before design starts.
Survey and design
A measured survey, then a design built around the person moving in: step-free routes, a ground-floor bedroom if needed and privacy for both households. You get a written quote after design and survey.
Planning and approvals
We prepare and submit the planning application and manage it with the council, which makes the decision. Before work starts, approval under the Building Regulations is in place and any CIL exemption has been claimed.
Build and handover
We build while you carry on living next door, with access, deliveries and working hours agreed up front. At handover you get the completion certificate and the paperwork you’ll need for council tax, lenders and any VAT claim.
Family home in your garden in towns across Berkshire
- Reading
- Slough
- Bracknell
- Maidenhead
- Wokingham
- Newbury
- Earley
- Windsor
- Woodley
- Crowthorne
- Thatcham
- Sandhurst
- Ascot
Questions about family home in your garden in Berkshire
Do you build family homes across all of Berkshire?
Yes, we cover garden plots throughout Berkshire, including in and around Reading, Slough, Bracknell and Maidenhead. Every enquiry starts with a free desktop appraisal of the plot and the planning context, and we arrange a site visit if the scheme looks viable. Design, planning and build follow only if you decide to go ahead.
What rules apply to a family home in Berkshire?
National policy in England sets the framework through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Each council then applies its own Local Plan policies, along with the council’s design guide or supplementary planning document where relevant. The building must also meet the Building Regulations, and you need to plan for fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). If the home is for an older relative, it is worth designing to a higher access standard from the start.
Is CIL charged on family homes in Berkshire?
Some councils charge the Community Infrastructure Levy and some don’t, so it depends where your house is. Where it applies, a self-build exemption and an exemption for residential annexes are available, but they must be claimed before work starts on site, together with a commencement notice. We check the position for your address during the free appraisal.
Do I need my own solicitor to sell a plot in Berkshire?
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.