Backland Development
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Garden plot feasibility and design in Portland

If you have a long or wide garden in Portland and a hunch it could hold a house, turning that hunch into a clear answer takes a few specific pieces of work: a measured survey, a look at the title deeds, a test of the access and a capacity study.

We do all of that, then draw concept options for the plots that pass. We’re a new brand within the S&K Group, and we offer feasibility as a service in its own right as well as the first stage of a build or a sale. Start with a free appraisal of your plot.

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Surveyor in a hi-vis vest taking GPS measurements in a long suburban back garden
Planning authority
Dorset Council
Postcodes
DT5
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.1 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Dorset

The local picture in Portland

Any capacity study for a garden in Portland starts with the policies in the council’s Local Plan and any design guidance Dorset Council has adopted for homes in gardens. Those documents set the tests the scheme will be judged against: character, separation, garden size, parking and access. Some councils also have specific policies on backland or tandem development. We read the current versions for your address and draw the concept options to meet them, which makes a later application far easier to defend.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Portland: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 16 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.1 m21 Dec, noon: sun 16°, shadow 17.4 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Portland on 21 March sits about 39° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.1 m. In December the sun is only about 16° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

From first call to decision

Here’s how feasibility starts in Portland. You tell us about the plot, by phone or through the form, and we carry out a free desktop appraisal of access, title plan and planning context. If it looks viable we visit. If you want to go further, we send a written scope and quote for survey, constraints check and capacity study, and nothing starts until you agree.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

  • Title problems such as covenants, ransom strips or missing rights of way can take time and money to resolve.
  • 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.

Your questions, answered for Portland

How much does a feasibility study cost in Portland?

It depends on the plot. A simple garden with a clear drive needs less work than one with protected trees, a flood zone or a complicated title. The first appraisal is free. After that we set out the scope and the price in writing, and you choose whether to go ahead before anything is commissioned.

Can I get pre-application advice on a garden plot in Portland?

Usually, yes. Most councils offer pre-application advice, and many charge a fee for it. Dorset Council’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.

What if my Portland 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 many homes could fit in my garden in Portland?

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 Dorset 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.

Other options in Portland

Feasibility and design near Portland

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.

Get my free appraisal 0800 088 6248