Backland Development
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Planning permission for a garden plot in Bath

We offer planning applications for new homes on garden land in and around Bath: long back gardens, wide side plots, garage courts and yards behind houses. The aim is a complete, well-evidenced submission, not a hopeful one, and an honest view beforehand of whether it is worth making at all.

That means a measured survey and the right specialist reports, drawings that show access, turning, parking and bins, a design and character analysis, and clear evidence on privacy and daylight. We handle the submission, consultation responses and amendments, then explain the decision and any conditions in plain English.

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Architect’s desk with a site plan, floor plan, sections and elevations for a small new house
Planning authority
Bath and North East Somerset Council
Postcodes
BA1, BA2
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Somerset

Bath: light, access and policy

Owners in Bath and places nearby such as Keynsham, Trowbridge and Kingswood may find their address falls under a different planning authority from the one they expect. Each has its own validation list, design guidance, pre-application service and fees.

We confirm the correct authority at appraisal stage and prepare the application to its requirements. If your address is with Bath and North East Somerset Council, we work to its validation list and guidance; if not, we work to whichever council covers your plot, so nothing is rejected on a technicality.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Bath: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.4 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Bath: around 39° of sun at midday in late March and about 15° at midwinter. It shows why the gap between your house and a new home behind it is about light as well as privacy. Garden assumed to face north.

How we’d take it forward in Bath

After the free appraisal of your Bath 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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.
  • Specialist surveys can be needed at short notice when a consultee raises an issue, adding cost and time.
  • Permission doesn’t override private rights: covenants, ransom strips, sewer easements and party wall matters still need dealing with separately.

Questions about garden plots in Bath

Is pre-application advice available in Bath?

Most planning authorities, including Bath and North East Somerset 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.

Does a garden plot application in Bath 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.

What if my Bath 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.

How close to neighbours can a new home in Bath be?

It depends on the council’s guidance and the window layout. Many councils use around 21 metres between facing back windows and around 12 to 15 metres between a back window and a blank side wall, but the guide used by Bath and North East Somerset Council decides. Screening, levels, roof form and window positions can all change what is acceptable.

Other options in Bath

Garden plot planning near Bath

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.

Get my free appraisal 0800 088 6248