- Planning authority
- London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
- Postcodes
- SW14, TW1, TW2, TW9, TW10
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater London
What the council will look at in Richmond upon Thames
Any capacity study for a garden in Richmond upon Thames starts with the policies in the council’s Local Plan and any design guidance the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames 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.
The next steps, locally
The next step is a free appraisal of your Richmond upon Thames 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.
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.
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
- Title problems such as covenants, ransom strips or missing rights of way can take time and money to resolve.
- Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year, which can affect the programme.
- A capacity figure is not a value; what a plot is worth depends on location, size, access and planning.
Richmond upon Thames: questions to ask
Is my Richmond upon Thames 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 Richmond upon Thames 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.
How many homes could fit in my garden in Richmond upon Thames?
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 the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames 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.
Do I have to use you for planning after a feasibility study in Richmond upon Thames?
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 Richmond upon Thames 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 Richmond upon Thames
- Garage courts and yards
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Bungalows on large plots
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Garden plot option agreement
- Build a home for family in your garden