- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 2
- City
- Salisbury
What to know in Wiltshire
National policy in England sets the frame for garden applications in Wiltshire. The broad tests come from the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), under which design quality, the character of the area and the living conditions of neighbours all carry real weight when a home is proposed in a garden. The local planning authority then applies its Local Plan and the council’s design guide or supplementary planning document. Our job is to show, with drawings and evidence, how a scheme meets those tests on your plot.
Planning authorities covering Wiltshire include Swindon Borough Council, Wiltshire 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 Wiltshire
Questions about garden plot planning in Wiltshire
Who decides planning appeals for Wiltshire 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.
Who handles garden plot applications in Wiltshire?
Applications in Wiltshire go to the local planning authority for the address; authorities here include Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire 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 you prepare planning applications for garden plots across Wiltshire?
Yes. We offer to prepare and manage planning applications for new homes on garden land throughout Wiltshire, 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.
Can you build a new home in my garden in Wiltshire for me to keep?
Yes. Through our design and build route we survey your plot, design a new home with you, apply for planning and, once permission is granted, build it. You keep the land and the new home, to sell, let or use for family. You get a written quote after design and survey, and any earlier guide price is a guide only.