- Planning authority
- Canterbury City Council
- Postcodes
- CT6
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
The local picture in Herne Bay
Every application Canterbury City Council receives for a Herne Bay 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 Where the plan is silent or out of date, national policy carries more weight, and the statement explains how the scheme meets it.
How we’d take it forward in Herne Bay
If you already have outline permission or a full permission with conditions for a plot in Herne Bay, 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.
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
- Conditions can add cost and work before building starts, such as approved drainage details, tree protection or a construction management plan.
- 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.
Your questions, answered for Herne Bay
Can I sell my Herne Bay 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.
What if my Herne Bay 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.
Is pre-application advice available in Herne Bay?
Most planning authorities, including Canterbury City 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.
Who decides planning applications for garden plots in Herne Bay?
Canterbury City Council decides applications for addresses in Herne Bay. 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 Herne Bay
- Corner and side plots
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell subject to planning
- Build a new home in your garden
- Bungalows on large plots
- Build a home for family in your garden