Backland Development
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Garden plot feasibility and design in Tonbridge

Not every garden in Tonbridge that looks big enough will make a building plot, and not every awkward one is hopeless. What counts is how the plot is reached, what the title says, how close the neighbours’ windows are and what Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council will accept.

We test each of those in turn, then work out how many homes, of what size and height, could sit comfortably on the land. You see the evidence behind every conclusion, from measured distances to the policy wording that applies. The first appraisal is free, and anything beyond it carries a fixed written fee agreed with you in advance.

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Surveyor in a hi-vis vest taking GPS measurements in a long suburban back garden
Planning authority
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
Postcodes
TN9, TN10, TN11
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.2 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Kent

Before you decide in Tonbridge

Pre-application advice from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council is often the last step of a feasibility study in Tonbridge, and one of the most useful. Once the survey, constraints check and concept designs are done, we can put the strongest option to a planning officer and ask for a written view on the principle and the details. It isn’t binding, but it shows how the scheme measures up against the council’s Local Plan and what an application would need. Any council fee is set by the council and shown in our written quote.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Tonbridge: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.2 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.2 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Tonbridge: around 39° of sun at midday in late March and about 15° 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.

The next steps, locally

Getting a straight answer about a garden plot in Tonbridge costs nothing at the first stage. Send us a few photos and a rough idea of the plot, or call, and we’ll check it from the desk. If it’s not worth pursuing, we’ll say so and explain why. If it is, we’ll set out the next steps and their cost in writing.

  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

  • A capacity figure is not a value; what a plot is worth depends on location, size, access and planning.
  • 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.

Your questions, answered for Tonbridge

Can you check the title deeds on my Tonbridge 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 much does a feasibility study cost in Tonbridge?

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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge and Malling 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 many homes could fit in my garden in Tonbridge?

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 Tonbridge and Malling Borough 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 Tonbridge

Feasibility and design near Tonbridge

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