Garden plot feasibility and design in Ashton-under-Lyne

Selling, building or applying for planning on a garden plot in Ashton-under-Lyne 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.

Surveyor in a hi-vis vest taking GPS measurements in a long suburban back garden
Planning authority
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
Postcodes
OL6, OL7
Noon sun, 21 March
About 37°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.8 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Greater Manchester

What the council will look at in Ashton-under-Lyne

Daylight is one of the first things Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council will test on a garden scheme, so we test it first too. At midday on 21 March the sun over Ashton-under-Lyne sits about 37° above the horizon, and a typical two-storey eaves line around 5 m high throws a shadow of roughly 6.8 m. In late December the noon sun reaches only about 13°, 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 Ashton-under-Lyne: about 37 degrees on 21 March and 13 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 37°, shadow 6.8 m21 Dec, noon: sun 13°, shadow 21.5 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Ashton-under-Lyne: around 37° of sun at midday in late March and about 13° at midwinter. It shows why the gap between your house and a new home behind it is about light as well as privacy. Garden assumed to face north.

How we’d take it forward in Ashton-under-Lyne

The next step is a free appraisal of your Ashton-under-Lyne 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. 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.

Worth checking early

  • 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.
  • Pre-application advice is not binding, and the council’s decision on a formal application can still differ.

Questions about garden plots in Ashton-under-Lyne

Do I have to use you for planning after a feasibility study in Ashton-under-Lyne?

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 much does a feasibility study cost in Ashton-under-Lyne?

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.

Is my Ashton-under-Lyne 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 Tameside Metropolitan Borough 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.

How do I know if my garden in Ashton-under-Lyne 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 Ashton-under-Lyne

Feasibility and design near Ashton-under-Lyne

Find out what your garden could become

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