- Planning authority
- Central Bedfordshire Council
- Postcodes
- SG18
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.4 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Bedfordshire
How it plays out in Biggleswade
Overshadowing is a common objection to garden homes, so we answer it with numbers. At noon on 21 March the sun over Biggleswade is about 38° above the horizon, and the shadow from a 5 m eaves line reaches about 6.4 m; on 21 December the sun rises to only about 14°.
Using those angles, we model shadows across neighbouring gardens and windows and adjust the height, position or roof shape of the new home until the effect is acceptable. Central Bedfordshire Council can then judge the scheme on evidence rather than impressions.
How we’d take it forward in Biggleswade
If you already have outline permission or a full permission with conditions for a plot in Biggleswade, we can take it from there. We check what still needs approval, prepare reserved matters or condition details, and submit them. Then you can move on to the build with us, sell the plot, or hold it while you decide.
Free plot appraisal
We review the title plan, access, constraints, policy and planning history around your address, then talk it through with you. If the plot looks viable we visit, and tell you plainly whether an application is worth making.
Surveys and design
A measured survey comes first, followed by the specialist surveys the plot needs, such as trees or ecology. The layout is designed around access, privacy, daylight, parking, bins and garden space for both homes.
Pre-application advice
Where policy is tight or the plot unusual, we put a draft scheme to the council’s planners first. Their written response shows which issues to fix before you pay the full application fee.
Submit and manage
We complete the forms, ownership certificate, drawings and statements, pay the fee on your behalf and submit. During consultation we answer officers’ questions, respond to consultees and agree amendments where they help.
Worth checking early
- Specialist surveys can be needed at short notice when a consultee raises an issue, adding cost and time.
- Permission doesn’t override private rights: covenants, ransom strips, sewer easements and party wall matters still need dealing with separately.
- Planning is the council’s decision; even a well-prepared application can be refused, and the costs of preparing it aren’t recovered.
Questions about garden plots in Biggleswade
Is pre-application advice available in Biggleswade?
Most planning authorities, including Central Bedfordshire Council, offer pre-application advice, usually for a fee, with their own response times. It isn’t compulsory and doesn’t bind the final decision, but for a garden plot with a tight access, strict policy or an earlier refusal, it can show which issues to resolve before you apply formally.
What if my Biggleswade garden application is refused?
You can submit a revised application that addresses the reasons for refusal, appeal within 6 months of the decision date, or decide not to go further. Appeals go to the Planning Inspectorate in England or Planning and Environment Decisions Wales. We review the refusal and the officer’s report with you before recommending a route.
How long will my Biggleswade garden plot application take?
The statutory period for a minor application, such as one or a few new homes, is 8 weeks from validation, in both England and Wales. Many take longer, and the council may ask you to agree an extension in writing. If no decision is made in time and no extension is agreed, you can appeal for non-determination.
Who decides planning applications for garden plots in Biggleswade?
Central Bedfordshire Council decides applications for addresses in Biggleswade. Small applications are usually decided by planning officers under delegated powers, and national and council rules set out when one can go to the planning committee instead. The decision is based on the council’s Local Plan, national policy and other material considerations, including neighbours’ and consultees’ comments.
Other options in Biggleswade
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Sell subject to planning
- Garden plot option agreement
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots

