- Planning authority
- St Albans City and District Council
- Postcodes
- AL3, AL5
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.4 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hertfordshire
The local picture in Harpenden
Access usually decides what a Harpenden garden can take. An annexe can often share your drive because it is used with the house, but a separate home needs an access St Albans City and District Council will accept for a dwelling in its own right, with room for cars, bin collection and emergency vehicles. We cover homes in Harpenden and around St Albans, Luton and Hemel Hempstead, and on every plot we measure the drive width, the view along the road where the access joins it, and how far bins would need to travel, before anyone draws a plan.
From first call to decision
From first call to keys, a family home in Harpenden follows a clear order. Free appraisal and site visit; measured survey and design around the person moving in; a planning application to St Albans City and District Council; approval under the Building Regulations 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.
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
- VAT savings available on a separate dwelling often don’t apply to an annexe; take advice from a tax adviser before choosing.
- An annexe tied by planning condition usually can’t be sold or let separately, which limits flexibility later.
- CIL exemptions are lost if work starts before the claim is made, and can be withdrawn if the home is sold or let within three years.
Your questions, answered for Harpenden
Can you design a home in Harpenden for a relative who uses a wheelchair?
Yes. The design can include a level approach and threshold, turning space in each room, a wet room, wider doors and worktops at a usable height. Where St Albans City and District Council requires a particular access standard through planning, the design meets it; otherwise it’s your choice how far to go. Input from your relative’s occupational therapist is well worth having.
How much garden do I need for a family home in Harpenden?
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 St Albans City and District 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.
Can I build a separate house in my Harpenden garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. St Albans City and District 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.
Do I need planning permission for a granny annexe in Harpenden?
Yes, almost always for a detached annexe with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. St Albans City and District 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.
Other options in Harpenden
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Garage courts and yards
- Build a new home in your garden
- Garden plot option agreement
- Sell part of your garden