Backland Development
0800 088 6248Free to call Free plot appraisal

Garden plot feasibility and design in Ross-on-Wye

The cheapest time to find a problem with a garden plot in Ross-on-Wye is before anyone draws a house on it. Covenants, sewers, protected trees, flood risk and narrow drives all turn up in a proper feasibility check, and most are far easier to deal with when they are known up front.

Our feasibility service covers the survey, title and constraints check, access options and a capacity study, followed by concept designs and pre-application advice from Herefordshire Council where it helps. It all begins with a free first appraisal, and every later stage has a written price that you approve before work starts, so you can stop at any point.

Get a free appraisalCheck my garden
Surveyor in a hi-vis vest taking GPS measurements in a long suburban back garden
Planning authority
Herefordshire Council
Postcodes
HR9
Noon sun, 21 March
About 38°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.4 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Herefordshire

Before you decide in Ross-on-Wye

A measured survey in Ross-on-Wye records the plot exactly: boundaries, levels, trees, drains, and the positions and heights of neighbouring windows. It is the base for everything else. From it we can plot the shadow a two-storey eaves line would cast, roughly 6.4 m at noon on 21 March when the sun is near 38° here, and the distances between the new home and the houses around it. Herefordshire Council will expect the application drawings to be accurate to a survey like this.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Ross-on-Wye: about 38 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 38°, shadow 6.4 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 19.1 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Ross-on-Wye on 21 March sits about 38° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.4 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.

The next steps, locally

The next step is a free appraisal of your Ross-on-Wye 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. 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.

  4. 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

  • A feasibility study can end in a no; finding that out early costs far less than a refused application.
  • 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.

Ross-on-Wye: questions to ask

Is my Ross-on-Wye 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 Herefordshire 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.

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

Usually, yes. Most councils offer pre-application advice, and many charge a fee for it. Herefordshire Council’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.

What if my Ross-on-Wye garden plot fails the feasibility check?

Then you know before spending money on a planning application, and you know why. Sometimes a smaller scheme, an annexe, or working with the neighbours next door changes the answer, and we will say if so. If nothing does, you keep the survey and the report for the future. You are under no obligation to us either way.

How many homes could fit in my garden in Ross-on-Wye?

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 Herefordshire Council 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.

Other options in Ross-on-Wye

Feasibility and design near Ross-on-Wye

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