- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 2
- County town
- Dorchester
Before you start in Dorset
National policy in England sets the frame for garden applications in Dorset. The broad tests come from the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), under which design quality, the character of the area and the living conditions of neighbours all carry real weight when a home is proposed in a garden. The local planning authority then applies its Local Plan and the council’s design guide or supplementary planning document. Our job is to show, with drawings and evidence, how a scheme meets those tests on your plot.
Planning authorities covering Dorset include BCP Council, Dorset Council.
How it works
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.
Decision and next steps
If permission is granted, we explain every condition and what must happen before work starts. If it’s refused, we review the reasons with you and set out the options: amend and resubmit, appeal, or stop.
Garden plot planning in towns across Dorset
Questions about garden plot planning in Dorset
Do you prepare planning applications for garden plots across Dorset?
Yes. We offer to prepare and manage planning applications for new homes on garden land throughout Dorset, working with whichever council covers your address. The appraisal is free; our fee for the application work is agreed in writing before we start, with the council’s fee and any specialist surveys listed separately.
Is outline or full permission better for Dorset garden plots?
For most garden plots, full permission is the stronger option because privacy, daylight and access can only be judged properly with detailed drawings. Outline may suit an owner who intends to sell and wants a buyer to choose the house design. Where outline is used, we usually fix the access at that stage.
Who handles garden plot applications in Dorset?
Applications in Dorset go to the local planning authority for the address; authorities here include BCP Council and Dorset Council. The authority applies its Local Plan alongside the NPPF and has its own validation list, design guidance and pre-application service. We confirm the right authority at the free appraisal and prepare to its requirements.
Can neighbours in Dorset combine their gardens?
Yes. Putting two or more adjoining back gardens together can allow one shared access and a better layout than separate plots. Each owner keeps their house. The owners usually sign a collaboration agreement, with an equalisation clause so that value is shared fairly even though only one garden provides the access. Each household should take its own legal advice.