Garden plot feasibility and design in Hexham

The cheapest time to find a problem with a garden plot in Hexham 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 Northumberland County 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.

Surveyor in a hi-vis vest taking GPS measurements in a long suburban back garden
Planning authority
Northumberland County Council
Postcodes
NE46
Noon sun, 21 March
About 35°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 7.1 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Northumberland

How it plays out in Hexham

A measured survey in Hexham 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 7.1 m at noon on 21 March when the sun is near 35° here, and the distances between the new home and the houses around it. Northumberland County Council will expect the application drawings to be accurate to a survey like this.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Hexham: about 35 degrees on 21 March and 12 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 35°, shadow 7.1 m21 Dec, noon: sun 12°, shadow 24.4 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Hexham: around 35° of sun at midday in late March and about 12° 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.

What happens next in Hexham

From first call to a clear answer, feasibility work in Hexham follows a simple order: free appraisal, written quote, measured survey, title and constraints check, access and capacity study, concept designs, and pre-application advice from Northumberland County Council where it helps. You get a short report setting out the options, and the choice of what happens next stays with you.

  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. 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

  • Title problems such as covenants, ransom strips or missing rights of way can take time and money to resolve.
  • Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year, which can affect the programme.
  • A feasibility study can end in a no; finding that out early costs far less than a refused application.

Hexham: questions to ask

How do I know if my garden in Hexham is big enough for a house?

Size alone won’t tell you. What matters is whether there is a workable access, enough distance from neighbours’ windows, room for gardens, parking and bins for both homes, and nothing on the title or in policy that rules it out. A feasibility study checks each of those for your plot. The first stage, a free plot appraisal, gives you an early view.

How many homes could fit in my garden in Hexham?

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 Northumberland County 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.

How much does a feasibility study cost in Hexham?

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.

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

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.

Other options in Hexham

Feasibility and design near Hexham

Find out what your garden could become

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