- Planning authority
- West Northamptonshire Council
- Postcodes
- NN11
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.5 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Northamptonshire
Daventry: light, access and policy
People living next door are consulted on every planning application, and across NN11 that applies to a family annexe just as much as to a new house. Their privacy, outlook and light carry real weight with West Northamptonshire 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
The next step is a conversation, by phone or through the form, about your garden in Daventry and who the new home is for. We check access, title, the main planning constraints and any CIL position for your address, then tell you whether an annexe, a separate home or neither looks realistic. If neither does, we’ll say so and explain why.
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.
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
- 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.
- Family plans change: agree ownership, costs and what happens if circumstances change in writing, with a solicitor.
Daventry: questions to ask
Can I build a separate house in my Daventry garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. West Northamptonshire 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.
Who owns an annexe built in my Daventry 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.
How much garden do I need for a family home in Daventry?
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 West Northamptonshire 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.
Is CIL payable on a family home in Daventry?
Only if West Northamptonshire 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 Daventry
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Plot feasibility and design
- Sell subject to planning
- Build a new home in your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Combine gardens with your neighbours

