Garden plot feasibility and design in Colne

A feasibility study for a Colne garden plot ends with a straight answer: yes, no or maybe. Yes comes with a scheme that looks capable of planning permission. No comes with the reason. Maybe comes with what would need to change, such as a covenant released or a neighbour’s agreement.

From there you can apply for planning, build on the land, sell it or bring in a partner, or simply leave things as they are. We cover homes in and around Colne, and the first step, a free plot appraisal, costs nothing and commits you to nothing. You also keep every drawing and report you pay for.

Surveyor in a hi-vis vest taking GPS measurements in a long suburban back garden
Planning authority
Pendle Borough Council
Postcodes
BB8
Noon sun, 21 March
About 36°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.8 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Lancashire

Before you decide in Colne

A measured survey in Colne 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 6.8 m at noon on 21 March when the sun is near 36° here, and the distances between the new home and the houses around it. Pendle Borough Council will expect the application drawings to be accurate to a survey like this.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Colne: about 36 degrees on 21 March and 13 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 36°, shadow 6.8 m21 Dec, noon: sun 13°, shadow 22.2 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Colne: around 36° 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 Colne

Here’s how feasibility starts in Colne. You tell us about the plot, by phone or through the form, and we carry out a free desktop appraisal of access, title plan and planning context. If it looks viable we visit. If you want to go further, we send a written scope and quote for survey, constraints check and capacity study, and nothing starts until you agree.

  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. 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.

  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

  • Pre-application advice is not binding, and the council’s decision on a formal application can still differ.
  • A feasibility study can end in a no; finding that out early costs far less than a refused application.
  • Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year, which can affect the programme.

Colne: questions to ask

Do I have to use you for planning after a feasibility study in Colne?

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.

What if my Colne 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.

Is my Colne 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 Pendle 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.

Can you check the title deeds on my Colne 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.

Other options in Colne

Feasibility and design near Colne

Find out what your garden could become

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