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- National planning policy
- NPPF
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Getting it right in the West Midlands
Most garden plots in the West Midlands are reached in one of three ways: down a side drive beside the house, from a lane or road at the back, or across someone else’s land. An annexe can often share the existing drive, because it is used with the house. A separate dwelling needs a route in that the council will accept for an independent home, with room for cars to pass, bins to be collected and emergency vehicles to get close enough. If the route is shared with neighbours or crosses land you don’t own, the title needs checking early.
Planning authorities covering the West Midlands include Birmingham City Council, City of Wolverhampton Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.
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 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 the West Midlands
- Birmingham
- Coventry
- Wolverhampton
- Dudley
- Walsall
- Solihull
- Sutton Coldfield
- West Bromwich
- Halesowen
- Stourbridge
- Smethwick
- Willenhall
- Tipton
- Bloxwich
- Shirley
- Brierley Hill
- Aldridge
- Wednesbury
- Kingswinford
Questions about family home in your garden in the West Midlands
Do councils in the West Midlands allow annexes for elderly parents?
They can, where the annexe is clearly linked to the main house and the plot can take it without harming neighbours or the character of the area. Each council decides its own applications against its local policies, so what is acceptable on one street may not be on another. Councils covering the West Midlands include Birmingham City Council, City of Wolverhampton Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and other councils.
How long does planning take for an annexe in the West Midlands?
Usually a few months from a valid application, though it varies between councils and with how many changes are needed. Applications that draw objections or need extra reports take longer. Pre-application advice adds time at the start but often saves it later by flagging problems before you apply.
Do you build family homes across all of the West Midlands?
Yes, we cover garden plots throughout the West Midlands, including in and around Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and Dudley. Every enquiry starts with a free desktop appraisal of the plot and the planning context, and we arrange a site visit if the scheme looks viable. Design, planning and build follow only if you decide to go ahead.
Can you build a new home in my garden in the West Midlands for me to keep?
Yes. Through our design and build route we survey your plot, design a new home with you, apply for planning and, once permission is granted, build it. You keep the land and the new home, to sell, let or use for family. You get a written quote after design and survey, and any earlier guide price is a guide only.
Other options in the West Midlands
- Build a new home in your garden in the West Midlands
- Sell part of your garden in the West Midlands
- Tandem and landlocked plots in the West Midlands
- Planning promotion for your garden plot in the West Midlands
- Joint venture on your garden plot in the West Midlands
- Bungalows on large plots in the West Midlands