- Planning authority
- Cambridge City Council
- Postcodes
- CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.4 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Cambridgeshire
The local picture in Cambridge
People living next door are consulted on every planning application, and across CB1, CB2, CB3 and CB4 that applies to a family annexe just as much as to a new house. Their privacy, outlook and light carry real weight with Cambridge City Council. A design that keeps upper windows away from adjoining gardens, uses obscure glazing where it has to, and leaves a planted margin along the boundary gives the council fewer reasons to refuse. A quiet word with the people either side before the application goes in is often worthwhile too.
How we’d take it forward in Cambridge
Here’s what happens next for a family home in Cambridge. You tell us about your plot and who the home is for, and we carry out a free desktop appraisal of access, space and the planning context. If it looks viable we visit, then set out the annexe and separate-home options. With your go-ahead we survey, design and give you a written quote, then prepare the application for Cambridge City Council.
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.
Worth checking early
- Planning is the council’s decision, and an annexe is not a way round the rules that apply to a new house.
- A separate home needs its own garden, parking, bins and access, so it needs more land than an annexe.
- VAT savings available on a separate dwelling often don’t apply to an annexe; take advice from a tax adviser before choosing.
Your questions, answered for Cambridge
Will an annexe in Cambridge put up my council tax?
It might. Annexes can be banded separately, but exemptions exist for annexes lived in by certain dependent relatives, and in some cases a discount applies where family live there or the annexe is used as part of the main home. Who qualifies depends on the relative’s circumstances and how the annexe is used. Cambridge City Council’s council tax team can tell you how the rules apply to your household.
How much garden do I need for a family home in Cambridge?
There’s no fixed figure. A single-storey annexe close to the house can work on a smaller plot than a separate dwelling, which needs its own garden, parking and access. What matters is whether Cambridge City Council can be satisfied on privacy, daylight and the space left for both homes. The free appraisal gives you a first view based on your plot’s actual shape and access.
Who owns an annexe built in my Cambridge garden?
You do. An annexe stays on the title of your house and usually carries a planning condition tying it to the main home, so it can’t be transferred to the relative living in it. If a family member is paying towards it, record what they’ve put in and what happens on a sale in a written agreement drawn up by a solicitor.
Can I build a separate house in my Cambridge garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. Cambridge City Council will look at access, parking, garden space for both houses, privacy and the character of the street, as it would for any new house. If permission is granted, the plot can be transferred to your child with its own title, with your lender’s consent if the house is mortgaged.
Other options in Cambridge
- Garage courts and yards
- Sell subject to planning
- Large rear gardens
- Corner and side plots
- Bungalows on large plots
- Planning promotion for your garden plot