- Planning authority
- Caerphilly County Borough Council
- Postcodes
- CF46
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- LDP
- County
- Gwent
How it plays out in Nelson, Gwent
A measured survey is where a family home in Nelson stops being an idea and becomes a plan. We record boundaries, levels, trees, drains and the windows of your house and the houses next door, then test where the new building can sit. With the spring equinox sun standing near 38° at midday here, a 5 m eaves line throws a noon shadow close to 6.3 m; drawing that onto the survey shows which positions keep light in the main rooms of both homes. Caerphilly County Borough Council will expect to see the same evidence with the application.
From first call to decision
From first call to keys, a family home in Nelson follows a clear order. Free appraisal and site visit; measured survey and design around the person moving in; a planning application to Caerphilly County Borough Council; approval under the Building Regulations as they apply in Wales and any CIL exemption claimed before work starts; then the build, with you living next door throughout. You receive a written quote after design and survey, and we keep the household updated at each stage.
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.
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 as they apply in Wales 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.
Worth checking early
- CIL exemptions are lost if work starts before the claim is made, and can be withdrawn if the home is sold or let within three years.
- Planning is the council’s decision, and an annexe is not a way round the rules that apply to a new house.
- VAT savings available on a separate dwelling often don’t apply to an annexe; take advice from a tax adviser before choosing.
Questions about garden plots in Nelson, Gwent
Can I build a separate house in my Nelson garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. Caerphilly County Borough 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.
How much garden do I need for a family home in Nelson?
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 Caerphilly County Borough 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.
Do I need planning permission for a granny annexe in Nelson?
Yes, almost always for a detached annexe with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Caerphilly County Borough Council will treat it as accommodation linked to your home and will usually add a condition so it can’t be let or sold separately. A garden building used only as a home office or gym is a different matter, but sleeping and cooking take it beyond those allowances.
Is CIL payable on a family home in Nelson?
Only if Caerphilly County Borough Council has adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy, which its website will confirm, and we check it for you during the appraisal. Where it applies, self-build and residential annexe exemptions exist, but both must be claimed before work starts and can be withdrawn if the home is sold or let within three years of completion.
Other options in Nelson
- Garden plot option agreement
- Build a new home in your garden
- Sell part of your garden
- Corner and side plots
- Garage courts and yards
- Joint venture on your garden plot

