- Planning authority
- North Hertfordshire District Council
- Postcodes
- SG8
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.4 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hertfordshire
Royston: light, access and policy
Every application North Hertfordshire District Council receives for a Royston address is tested against the council’s Local Plan. Policies on housing, design, residential amenity, parking and trees will all be relevant to a garden plot, and some councils have specific policies or guidance on garden and backland development.
We read the policies that apply to your address before designing anything, and write the planning statement around them. Where the plan is silent or out of date, national policy carries more weight, and the statement explains how the scheme meets it.
From first call to decision
After the free appraisal of your Royston plot, work begins with a measured survey and any specialist reports. We then design the layout, test it against local guidance, prepare the drawings and statements, and, if worthwhile, seek pre-application advice. Once you’ve approved the scheme, we submit the application and manage it through to a decision.
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.
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
- Planning is the council’s decision; even a well-prepared application can be refused, and the costs of preparing it aren’t recovered.
- Neighbours have a formal say during consultation, and the council must weigh any planning objections they raise.
- Permission doesn’t override private rights: covenants, ransom strips, sewer easements and party wall matters still need dealing with separately.
Royston: questions to ask
Does a garden plot application in Royston 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.
Can my neighbours stop a garden house in Royston?
Neighbours can object, and the council must take relevant planning objections into account, but they can’t veto an application. Comments about privacy, light, noise from the access, parking and character carry weight; issues like property values or private disputes generally don’t. Talking to neighbours before submitting often helps.
Can I sell my Royston 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.
How long will my Royston 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.
Other options in Royston
- Sell part of your garden
- Sell subject to planning
- Plot feasibility and design
- Bungalows on large plots
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Joint venture on your garden plot