- Planning authority
- Lake District National Park Authority
- Postcodes
- LA23
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 36°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 7.0 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Cumbria
Before you decide in Windermere
A measured survey in Windermere 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 7.0 m at noon on 21 March when the sun is near 36° here, and the distances between the new home and the houses around it. Lake District National Park Authority will expect the application drawings to be accurate to a survey like this.
The next steps, locally
From first call to a clear answer, feasibility work in Windermere 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 Lake District National Park Authority 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.
Scope and written quote
If you want to go further, we set out which surveys and checks your plot needs and what they will cost, in writing. Nothing is commissioned until you have agreed the scope and the price.
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.
Concept designs and pre-application
Sketch layouts and simple elevations for the strongest options. Where it will help, we take one to the council for pre-application advice before anything is submitted.
Worth checking early
- Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year, which can affect the programme.
- 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.
Questions about garden plots in Windermere
Do I have to use you for planning after a feasibility study in Windermere?
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.
Can I get pre-application advice on a garden plot in Windermere?
Usually, yes. Most councils offer pre-application advice, and many charge a fee for it. Lake District National Park Authority’s website sets out its current arrangements, including how to apply, what to send and how long a response usually takes. We can prepare the information and attend any meeting for you. The advice isn’t binding, but it is a useful test before a full application.
How do I know if my garden in Windermere 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.
Is my Windermere garden in a flood zone or conservation area?
Both are public information. Flood zones are shown on the flood maps for planning in England, and Lake District National Park Authority publishes its conservation area boundaries and the listed buildings in its area. We check these as part of the free appraisal, along with Tree Preservation Orders, because each one changes what a scheme needs to show.
Other options in Windermere
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Bungalows on large plots
- Build a new home in your garden
- Planning promotion for your garden plot