- Planning authority
- Mole Valley District Council
- Postcodes
- KT18, KT21, KT22, KT23
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Surrey
How it plays out in Leatherhead
A measured survey is where a family home in Leatherhead 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 39° at midday here, a 5 m eaves line throws a noon shadow close to 6.2 m; drawing that onto the survey shows which positions keep light in the main rooms of both homes. Mole Valley 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 Leatherhead follows a clear order. Free appraisal and site visit; measured survey and design around the person moving in; a planning application to Mole Valley 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
- 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.
- CIL exemptions are lost if work starts before the claim is made, and can be withdrawn if the home is sold or let within three years.
Questions about garden plots in Leatherhead
Is CIL payable on a family home in Leatherhead?
Only if Mole Valley 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.
Can you design a home in Leatherhead 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 Mole Valley 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 Leatherhead?
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 Mole Valley 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 Leatherhead garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. Mole Valley 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.
Other options in Leatherhead
- Large rear gardens
- Build a new home in your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Garage courts and yards
- Plot feasibility and design
- Tandem and landlocked plots