- Planning authority
- East Hertfordshire District Council
- Postcodes
- SG12
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.4 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hertfordshire
What the council will look at in Ware
A measured survey is where a family home in Ware 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 6.4 m; drawing that onto the survey shows which positions keep light in the main rooms of both homes. East Hertfordshire District Council will expect to see the same evidence with the application.
The next steps, locally
From first call to keys, a family home in Ware follows a clear order. Free appraisal and site visit; measured survey and design around the person moving in; a planning application to East Hertfordshire 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.
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.
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.
- Family plans change: agree ownership, costs and what happens if circumstances change in writing, with a solicitor.
- An annexe tied by planning condition usually can’t be sold or let separately, which limits flexibility later.
Your questions, answered for Ware
Will an annexe in Ware 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. East Hertfordshire District Council’s council tax team can tell you how the rules apply to your household.
Is CIL payable on a family home in Ware?
Only if East Hertfordshire District 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.
Do I need planning permission for a granny annexe in Ware?
Yes, almost always for a detached annexe with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. East Hertfordshire 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.
Can you design a home in Ware 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 East Hertfordshire 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.
Other options in Ware
- Plot feasibility and design
- Corner and side plots
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Bungalows on large plots
- Garage courts and yards