- Planning authority
- Derby City Council
- Postcodes
- DE1, DE3, DE23, DE24
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.6 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Derbyshire
How it plays out in Derby
Sometimes the best scheme in Derby takes in more than one garden. If your plot is short of access or depth, a feasibility study can test a combined layout with the gardens next door, as well as yours alone. We cover Derby and nearby places such as Belper, Ilkeston and Heanor, and in each case we show the owners how one shared access could serve several homes. Whether Derby City Council would support it depends on the design, the effect on the street and its policies.
From first call to decision
Getting a straight answer about a garden plot in Derby costs nothing at the first stage. Send us a few photos and a rough idea of the plot, or call, and we’ll check it from the desk. If it’s not worth pursuing, we’ll say so and explain why. If it is, we’ll set out the next steps and their cost in writing.
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.
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.
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
- Pre-application advice is not binding, and the council’s decision on a formal application can still differ.
- 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.
Derby: questions to ask
How many homes could fit in my garden in Derby?
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 Derby City 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.
What if my Derby garden plot fails the feasibility check?
Then you know before spending money on a planning application, and you know why. Sometimes a smaller scheme, an annexe, or working with the neighbours next door changes the answer, and we will say if so. If nothing does, you keep the survey and the report for the future. You are under no obligation to us either way.
How do I know if my garden in Derby 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.
Do I have to use you for planning after a feasibility study in Derby?
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.
Other options in Derby
- Build a new home in your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Garden plot option agreement
- Sell subject to planning
- Large rear gardens