- Planning authority
- Liverpool City Council
- Postcodes
- L1, L2, L3, L5, L6
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.7 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Merseyside
What shapes a plot in Liverpool
Daylight is one of the first things Liverpool City Council will test on a garden scheme, so we test it first too. At midday on 21 March the sun over Liverpool sits about 37° above the horizon, and a typical two-storey eaves line around 5 m high throws a shadow of roughly 6.7 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.
What happens next in Liverpool
The next step is a free appraisal of your Liverpool 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.
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.
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.
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.
- A feasibility study can end in a no; finding that out early costs far less than a refused application.
Your questions, answered for Liverpool
How much does a feasibility study cost in Liverpool?
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.
Can I get pre-application advice on a garden plot in Liverpool?
Usually, yes. Most councils offer pre-application advice, and many charge a fee for it. Liverpool City 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.
Is my Liverpool 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 Liverpool City 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.
What if my Liverpool 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.
Other options in Liverpool
- Sell subject to planning
- Build a new home in your garden
- Corner and side plots
- Garage courts and yards
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Planning permission for a garden plot

