- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 2
- County town
- Northampton
Before you start in Northamptonshire
Before a council in Northamptonshire looks at the merits, it checks that the application is valid. That means the correct forms, a location plan with the site and access edged in red, the right ownership certificate, the fee and everything on its local validation list. Missing items stop the clock before it starts. We prepare to the list that applies to your plot so the application is registered promptly and the 8-week statutory period can begin.
Planning authorities covering Northamptonshire include North Northamptonshire Council, West Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire
Questions about garden plot planning in Northamptonshire
Who decides planning appeals for Northamptonshire garden plots?
In England, appeals go to the Planning Inspectorate; in Wales, to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales. Either way, an appeal against a refusal must be made within 6 months of the decision date. An appeal is decided on the planning merits by someone independent of the council, and it usually takes several months.
Do you prepare planning applications for garden plots across Northamptonshire?
Yes. We offer to prepare and manage planning applications for new homes on garden land throughout Northamptonshire, 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.
Who handles garden plot applications in Northamptonshire?
Applications in Northamptonshire go to the local planning authority for the address; authorities here include North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire 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.
Do I need my own solicitor to sell a plot in Northamptonshire?
Yes, always. Your solicitor checks the contract, deals with the transfer of part at HM Land Registry and asks your mortgage lender to release the plot if the house is mortgaged. On option and promotion agreements we cover your reasonable legal fees, with the cap agreed in heads of terms before work starts.