- Nation
- Wales
- National planning policy
- Planning Policy Wales
- Planning authorities
- 2
- County town
- Llandrindod Wells
Getting it right in Powys
Under Planning Policy Wales (PPW), councils weigh the character of an area and the effect on neighbours when deciding whether a home can go in a garden, and the council’s Local Development Plan (LDP) usually adds local detail. For a family home in Powys, that means the design has to suit its surroundings as well as the relative moving in. Single-storey buildings, careful window placement and boundary planting often help. Many councils use separation distances of around 21 metres between facing back windows, but your council’s own guide decides.
Planning authorities covering Powys include Powys County Council, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority.
How it works
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.
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.
Family home in your garden in towns across Powys
Questions about family home in your garden in Powys
What rules apply to a family home in Powys?
National policy in Wales sets the framework through Planning Policy Wales (PPW). Each council then applies its own LDP policies, along with the council’s supplementary planning guidance and Technical Advice Note 12 on design where relevant. The building must also meet the Building Regulations as they apply in Wales, and you need to plan for sprinklers, which every new home in Wales must have. If the home is for an older relative, it is worth designing to a higher access standard from the start.
Is CIL charged on family homes in Powys?
Some councils charge the Community Infrastructure Levy and some don’t, so it depends where your house is. Where it applies, a self-build exemption and an exemption for residential annexes are available, but they must be claimed before work starts on site, together with a commencement notice. We check the position for your address during the free appraisal.
Can I build a separate home for my child in Powys?
Yes, where the plot is big enough to function as an independent home and the council grants permission. It needs its own access, garden, parking and bin store, and must not unduly harm neighbours’ privacy or light. Once approved, the plot can be given its own title, so your child can own it and, if they need to, mortgage it.
How much is a garden plot in Powys worth?
It depends on location, size, access, title and, above all, planning. Two similar gardens in the same street can be worth very different amounts if one has easy access and the other doesn’t. We don’t quote figures before we’ve looked at a plot properly; the free appraisal is the way to find out.