- Planning authority
- Vale of Glamorgan Council
- Postcodes
- CF71
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- LDP
- County
- South Glamorgan
Cowbridge: light, access and policy
A measured survey in Cowbridge 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 6.3 m at noon on 21 March when the sun is near 39° here, and the distances between the new home and the houses around it. Vale of Glamorgan Council will expect the application drawings to be accurate to a survey like this.
The next steps, locally
From first call to a clear answer, feasibility work in Cowbridge 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 Vale of Glamorgan Council where it helps. You get a short report setting out the options, and the choice of what happens next stays with you.
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.
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.
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.
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
- Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year, which can affect the programme.
- 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.
Cowbridge: questions to ask
Is my Cowbridge garden in a flood zone or conservation area?
Both are public information. Flood zones are shown on the flood maps for planning in Wales, and Vale of Glamorgan 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 Cowbridge?
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 Vale of Glamorgan 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.
Can you check the title deeds on my Cowbridge 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.
Do I have to use you for planning after a feasibility study in Cowbridge?
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 Cowbridge
- Garage courts and yards
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell subject to planning