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Planning permission for a garden plot in Littlehampton

If you have already had a garden application refused in Littlehampton, 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.

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Architect’s desk with a site plan, floor plan, sections and elevations for a small new house
Planning authority
Arun District Council
Postcodes
BN16, BN17
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.1 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
West Sussex

What the council will look at in Littlehampton

Pre-application advice from Arun District Council can be a sensible first step for a Littlehampton garden plot, particularly where the access is tight or the area has a distinctive character. The council sets its own fees and response times.

We prepare a focused pack: site plan, sketch layout, sections showing heights and separation, and specific questions about access, design and amenity under the council’s Local Plan. The written reply doesn’t bind the final decision, but it tells us which issues to resolve before the formal application is submitted.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Littlehampton: 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
Noon sun in Littlehampton on 21 March sits about 39° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.1 m. In December the sun is only about 16° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

What happens next in Littlehampton

To start, send us your Littlehampton address and a few photos of the garden, or give us a call. We check the title, access, constraints and nearby planning history, then talk it through with you. If the plot looks viable, we visit, explain whether an application is worth making and set out our fee and likely survey costs in writing.

  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. 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.
  • Specialist surveys can be needed at short notice when a consultee raises an issue, adding cost and time.

Littlehampton: questions to ask

How close to neighbours can a new home in Littlehampton 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.

What documents are needed for a garden plot application in Littlehampton?

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.

Who decides planning applications for garden plots in Littlehampton?

Arun District Council decides applications for addresses in Littlehampton. 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.

Is pre-application advice available in Littlehampton?

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.

Other options in Littlehampton

Garden plot planning near Littlehampton

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