Planning permission for a garden plot in Bognor Regis

If you have already had a garden application refused in Bognor Regis, a fresh look can help. We read the decision notice and officer’s report, check them against local policy and the plot itself, and tell you plainly whether a revised scheme, an appeal or stepping back makes most sense.

For new applications the approach is the same, just earlier: identify the issues that decide garden schemes locally and deal with them in the design before anything is submitted. Permission is always the council’s decision, but a well-prepared application gives it the clearest basis to make one.

Architect’s desk with a site plan, floor plan, sections and elevations for a small new house
Planning authority
Arun District Council
Postcodes
PO21, PO22
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.1 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
West Sussex

Before you decide in Bognor Regis

Owners in Bognor Regis and places nearby such as Chichester, Littlehampton and Emsworth 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 Arun District 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 Bognor Regis: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 16 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.1 m21 Dec, noon: sun 16°, shadow 17.7 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Bognor Regis: around 39° of sun at midday in late March and about 16° 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.

The next steps, locally

If you already have outline permission or a full permission with conditions for a plot in Bognor Regis, 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.

  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

  • Permission doesn’t override private rights: covenants, ransom strips, sewer easements and party wall matters still need dealing with separately.
  • 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.

Questions about garden plots in Bognor Regis

What if my Bognor Regis 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 Bognor Regis 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 Arun District Council decides. Screening, levels, roof form and window positions can all change what is acceptable.

Is pre-application advice available in Bognor Regis?

Most planning authorities, including Arun 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.

What documents are needed for a garden plot application in Bognor Regis?

Arun District Council publishes a local validation list, as every council does. Typically you need the forms, a location plan with the site and access edged in red, a site plan, floor plans, elevations, an ownership certificate and the fee, plus reports the plot calls for, such as trees, ecology, drainage and access. We prepare to the list for your address.

Other options in Bognor Regis

Garden plot planning near Bognor Regis

Find out what your garden could become

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