- Planning authority
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Postcodes
- E1, E1W, E3, E14
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater London
Tower Hamlets: light, access and policy
Daylight is one of the first things the London Borough of Tower Hamlets will test on a garden scheme, so we test it first too. At midday on 21 March the sun over Tower Hamlets 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.
The next steps, locally
The next step is a free appraisal of your Tower Hamlets 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.
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.
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.
- 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.
Your questions, answered for Tower Hamlets
Is my Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets?
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 Tower Hamlets 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.
How do I know if my garden in Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Sell subject to planning
- Corner and side plots