- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
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- City
- Birmingham
Getting it right in the West Midlands
Under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), councils weigh the character of an area, neighbours’ living conditions and the quality of design when judging homes in gardens. Each council in the West Midlands then adds its own detail in the council’s Local Plan and the council’s design guide or supplementary planning document. A capacity study turns those policies into measurements on your plot: separation distances, garden sizes, parking and building heights. Many councils work to roughly 21 metres where rear windows face each other, but the council’s own guide decides, so we check the right one.
Planning authorities covering the West Midlands include Birmingham City Council, City of Wolverhampton Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.
How it works
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.
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.
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.
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.
Feasibility and design in towns across the West Midlands
- Birmingham
- Coventry
- Wolverhampton
- Dudley
- Walsall
- Solihull
- Sutton Coldfield
- West Bromwich
- Halesowen
- Stourbridge
- Smethwick
- Willenhall
- Tipton
- Bloxwich
- Shirley
- Brierley Hill
- Aldridge
- Wednesbury
- Kingswinford
Questions about feasibility and design in the West Midlands
What constraints usually affect garden plots in the West Midlands?
Access is usually the biggest, followed by the distance from neighbours’ windows and the space left for the existing house. Title issues such as covenants and rights of way, public sewers, protected trees, flood risk and heritage designations can also apply. A feasibility study checks each one for your plot rather than relying on general rules.
What happens after a feasibility study in the West Midlands?
You choose. With a clear yes or a promising maybe, you might apply for planning, build a home on the plot, or sell or partner on it. With a no, you have the reasons and the evidence. Whichever way you go, the report, survey and concept designs remain yours to use.
How long does feasibility take for a plot in the West Midlands?
Often a few weeks, sometimes a couple of months. It depends on surveyor availability, whether title documents or specialist surveys are needed, and how long the council takes to respond if you ask for pre-application advice. Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year.
Do you buy garden plots in the West Midlands?
Yes. We buy suitable garden plots across the West Midlands directly, with or without planning permission, always subject to survey, title and contract. We also offer sales subject to planning, options, planning promotion and joint ventures. Which route fits depends on your plot, so the starting point is a free, no-obligation appraisal.