- Planning authority
- Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
- Postcodes
- B62, B63
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.5 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- West Midlands
The local picture in Halesowen
People living next door are consulted on every planning application, and across B62 and B63 that applies to a family annexe just as much as to a new house. Their privacy, outlook and light carry real weight with Dudley Metropolitan Borough 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.
How we’d take it forward in Halesowen
From first call to keys, a family home in Halesowen follows a clear order. Free appraisal and site visit; measured survey and design around the person moving in; a planning application to Dudley Metropolitan Borough 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.
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.
- VAT savings available on a separate dwelling often don’t apply to an annexe; take advice from a tax adviser before choosing.
Questions about garden plots in Halesowen
Do I need planning permission for a granny annexe in Halesowen?
Yes, almost always for a detached annexe with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Dudley Metropolitan Borough 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 I build a separate house in my Halesowen garden for my son or daughter?
Possibly, if the plot can work as a home in its own right. Dudley Metropolitan Borough 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.
How much garden do I need for a family home in Halesowen?
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 Dudley Metropolitan Borough 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 reclaim VAT on a family annexe in Halesowen?
Often not. HMRC’s guidance gives an annexe that can’t be used or sold separately from the main house as an example of work that can’t be zero-rated, and the DIY housebuilders refund scheme asks the same question. A separate dwelling is usually treated differently. Take advice from a tax adviser before you settle the planning route, because the wording of the permission matters.
Other options in Halesowen
- Garage courts and yards
- Large rear gardens
- Sell part of your garden
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Sell subject to planning
- Tandem and landlocked plots