- Planning authority
- Gwynedd Council
- Postcodes
- LL57
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.7 m
- Planning plan
- LDP
- County
- Gwynedd
Bangor: light, access and policy
People living next door are consulted on every planning application, and across LL57 that applies to a family annexe just as much as to a new house. Their privacy, outlook and light carry real weight with Gwynedd 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.
From first call to decision
Getting started in Bangor costs nothing. Send us a few photos of your garden and the way in, or simply call, and we’ll look at the plot from the desk and talk through your family’s plans. If there’s a realistic scheme, we arrange a site visit. Survey and design are quoted in writing before you commit, and the build price follows once the design is settled.
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 as they apply in Wales is in place and any CIL exemption has been claimed.
Worth checking early
- VAT savings available on a separate dwelling often don’t apply to an annexe; take advice from a tax adviser before choosing.
- 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.
Your questions, answered for Bangor
Who owns an annexe built in my Bangor 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 Bangor garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. Gwynedd 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.
Is CIL payable on a family home in Bangor?
Only if Gwynedd 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.
How much garden do I need for a family home in Bangor?
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 Gwynedd 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.
Other options in Bangor
- Build a new home in your garden
- Sell part of your garden
- Plot feasibility and design
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Large rear gardens