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- Planning Policy Wales
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- Bangor
Gwynedd: the planning picture
Councils in Gwynedd look closely at how a garden home would be reached, because the access affects the neighbours as much as the new occupants. A feasibility study measures the drive width, the sightlines where it meets the highway, the distance to the bin collection point and the route for emergency services, then tests that against the Building Regulations as they apply in Wales and the council’s highway advice. For a new home that includes sprinklers, which every new home in Wales must have. If the access doesn’t work, little else matters, which is why we check it first.
Planning authorities covering Gwynedd include Gwynedd Council, Isle of Anglesey County Council.
How it works
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.
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.
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.
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.
Feasibility and design in towns across Gwynedd
Questions about feasibility and design in Gwynedd
How long does feasibility take for a plot in Gwynedd?
Often a few weeks, sometimes a couple of months. It depends on surveyor availability, whether title documents or specialist surveys are needed, and how long the council takes to respond if you ask for pre-application advice. Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year.
What constraints usually affect garden plots in Gwynedd?
Access is usually the biggest, followed by the distance from neighbours’ windows and the space left for the existing house. Title issues such as covenants and rights of way, public sewers, protected trees, flood risk and heritage designations can also apply. A feasibility study checks each one for your plot rather than relying on general rules.
Do you carry out plot feasibility studies across Gwynedd?
Yes. We cover garden plots throughout Gwynedd, including in and around Bangor, Holyhead, Caernarfon and Llangefni. Every enquiry starts with a free desktop appraisal and, where the plot looks viable, a site visit. Survey and design work beyond that is quoted in writing before you commit.
Can you build a new home in my garden in Gwynedd for me to keep?
Yes. Through our design and build route we survey your plot, design a new home with you, apply for planning and, once permission is granted, build it. You keep the land and the new home, to sell, let or use for family. You get a written quote after design and survey, and any earlier guide price is a guide only.