- Planning authority
- Fenland District Council
- Postcodes
- PE15
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.5 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Cambridgeshire
What the council will look at in March
A measured survey in March records the plot exactly: boundaries, levels, trees, drains, and the positions and heights of neighbouring windows. It is the base for everything else. From it we can plot the shadow a two-storey eaves line would cast, roughly 6.5 m at noon on 21 March when the sun is near 37° here, and the distances between the new home and the houses around it. Fenland District Council will expect the application drawings to be accurate to a survey like this.
What happens next in March
From first call to a clear answer, feasibility work in March follows a simple order: free appraisal, written quote, measured survey, title and constraints check, access and capacity study, concept designs, and pre-application advice from Fenland District Council where it helps. You get a short report setting out the options, and the choice of what happens next stays with you.
Free plot appraisal
A desktop look at your plot, access, title plan and the planning picture, plus a conversation about what you want. If it looks viable we visit. There’s no cost and no obligation at this stage.
Survey and constraints check
A measured survey of the plot and its surroundings, then a check of the title, services, trees, flood risk and heritage designations, so the design starts from facts rather than guesses.
Access and capacity study
We test each workable route in and the number, size and position of homes the plot could hold, against separation distances, garden space, parking, bins and daylight for neighbours.
Feasibility report and options
A clear yes, no or maybe, the reasons behind it, and the routes open to you: apply for planning, build, sell or partner. You decide what happens next, with no obligation to use us for it.
Worth checking early
- A feasibility study can end in a no; finding that out early costs far less than a refused application.
- A capacity figure is not a value; what a plot is worth depends on location, size, access and planning.
- Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year, which can affect the programme.
March: questions to ask
Can you check the title deeds on my March property?
Yes. We obtain the title register and title plan from HM Land Registry and read them for restrictive covenants, rights of way, easements and any mortgage charge. If something needs a legal opinion, we flag it so your solicitor can advise. Title issues are far better found during feasibility than halfway through a planning application or a sale.
Do I have to use you for planning after a feasibility study in March?
No. The survey, report and concept designs are yours to use as you choose. You can take the scheme forward with us, through our planning permission or design and build services, or sell or partner on the plot with us, or use another firm. We would rather you made the decision that suits you.
How many homes could fit in my garden in March?
That is what a capacity study answers. It tests options against separation distances from neighbours, garden space for each home, parking, bins and access, as well as the policies Fenland District Council applies. For many gardens the answer is one home; larger or combined plots can sometimes take more. We show the options on drawings so you can see why.
How do I know if my garden in March is big enough for a house?
Size alone won’t tell you. What matters is whether there is a workable access, enough distance from neighbours’ windows, room for gardens, parking and bins for both homes, and nothing on the title or in policy that rules it out. A feasibility study checks each of those for your plot. The first stage, a free plot appraisal, gives you an early view.
Other options in March
- Bungalows on large plots
- Build a new home in your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Large rear gardens
- Garden plot option agreement
- Sell subject to planning