- Planning authority
- Wealden District Council
- Postcodes
- TN6
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- East Sussex
Before you decide in Crowborough
Overshadowing is a common objection to garden homes, so we answer it with numbers. At noon on 21 March the sun over Crowborough is about 39° above the horizon, and the shadow from a 5 m eaves line reaches about 6.2 m; on 21 December the sun rises to only about 15°.
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. Wealden District Council can then judge the scheme on evidence rather than impressions.
The next steps, locally
To start, send us your Crowborough address and a few photos of the garden, or give us a call. We check the title, access, constraints and nearby planning history, then talk it through with you. If the plot looks viable, we visit, explain whether an application is worth making and set out our fee and likely survey costs in writing.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- Neighbours have a formal say during consultation, and the council must weigh any planning objections they raise.
- Conditions can add cost and work before building starts, such as approved drainage details, tree protection or a construction management plan.
- Specialist surveys can be needed at short notice when a consultee raises an issue, adding cost and time.
Crowborough: questions to ask
Does a garden plot application in Crowborough need a tree survey?
Often, yes. If trees on or near the plot could be affected, councils usually expect a tree survey showing root protection areas and how they’ll be protected during building. Trees with a Tree Preservation Order, or in a conservation area, need consent or notice before any work, and can shape where the house and drive go.
Is pre-application advice available in Crowborough?
Most planning authorities, including Wealden District 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.
How long will my Crowborough 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.
Can I sell my Crowborough garden plot once it has planning permission?
Yes. Planning permission stays with the land, so the plot can be sold with it and the buyer can build the approved scheme, subject to any conditions. The plot will need its own title through a transfer of part at HM Land Registry, and any mortgage lender will need to release it. Take advice from a tax adviser before selling.
Other options in Crowborough
- Sell part of your garden
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Build a new home in your garden
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Joint venture on your garden plot