- Planning authority
- Exeter City Council
- Postcodes
- EX1, EX2, EX3, EX4
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Devon
The local picture in Exeter
Access is where most garden plots stand or fall, in Exeter as anywhere. We measure every possible route in, whether a side drive, a gap left by a garage, a back lane or a shared way, and check its width, the sightlines onto the street, and the bin and emergency routes. Plots differ from one street to the next, so there is no standard answer for homes in EX1, EX2, EX3 and EX4. If the way in passes over someone else’s land, the title check shows whether a right of way exists, and Exeter City Council’s highway advice shows what standard the route must meet.
From first call to decision
From first call to a clear answer, feasibility work in Exeter 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 Exeter City 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.
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.
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.
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
- 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.
Questions about garden plots in Exeter
Is my Exeter 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 Exeter City Council 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.
Can you check the title deeds on my Exeter 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.
How many homes could fit in my garden in Exeter?
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 Exeter 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 Exeter 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.
Other options in Exeter
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Garden plot option agreement