Backland Development
0800 088 6248Free to call Free plot appraisal

Garden plot feasibility and design in Camden

Selling, building or applying for planning on a garden plot in Camden all start from the same place: knowing what the plot can take. A feasibility study gives you that base, with a measured survey, a constraints check, access options and concept designs you can use whichever route you choose.

It also gives you something solid to discuss with your family, your neighbours, your solicitor or a buyer. We start with a free plot appraisal, then price any further work in writing so you can decide how far to go, one stage at a time.

Get a free appraisalCheck my garden
Surveyor in a hi-vis vest taking GPS measurements in a long suburban back garden
Planning authority
London Borough of Camden
Postcodes
N6, NW1, NW3, NW5, NW6
Noon sun, 21 March
About 38°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Greater London

Before you decide in Camden

Daylight is one of the first things the London Borough of Camden will test on a garden scheme, so we test it first too. At midday on 21 March the sun over Camden sits about 38° above the horizon, and a typical two-storey eaves line around 5 m high throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. In late December the noon sun reaches only about 15°, so winter shadows run roughly three times longer. Plotting both on the measured survey shows where a new home can stand without darkening the gardens and rooms around it.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Camden: about 38 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 38°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.6 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Camden on 21 March sits about 38° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. In December the sun is only about 15° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

How we’d take it forward in Camden

The next step is a free appraisal of your Camden garden. We look at the access, the shape of the plot, the title plan and the main planning constraints, then talk it through with you. Where the plot shows promise, we set out the surveys and design work it needs, with a written price for each stage, and you decide how far to take it.

  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. 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.

  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.
  • Pre-application advice is not binding, and the council’s decision on a formal application can still differ.
  • A feasibility study can end in a no; finding that out early costs far less than a refused application.

Your questions, answered for Camden

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

Usually, yes. Most councils offer pre-application advice, and many charge a fee for it. The London Borough of Camden’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.

Is my Camden 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 the London Borough of Camden 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.

Do I have to use you for planning after a feasibility study in Camden?

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 do I know if my garden in Camden 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 Camden

Feasibility and design near Camden

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