- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 3
- County town
- Bedford
Getting it right in Bedfordshire
On bungalow roads in Bedfordshire, the biggest planning question is usually height. Councils tend to resist two-storey homes where everything else is single-storey, because of the effect on the street and on neighbours’ privacy and light. A chalet design, keeping the eaves low and putting bedrooms under the roof slope, often bridges the gap. The council’s design guidance and Local Plan policies set the detail, and we read them for your district before suggesting a layout, so the first sketch already reflects what officers are likely to accept.
Planning authorities covering Bedfordshire include Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Luton Borough Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We look at the plot’s width and depth, the access, the planning history nearby and the character of the street, then talk through what you want. It’s free, with no obligation, and a site visit follows if it looks viable.
Compare the options
We sketch what could realistically fit: a home behind, a home beside, or a replacement scheme. You see the trade-offs for each, including what happens to your own garden and parking, before choosing a route.
Choose your route
You can sell a plot and stay put, sell subject to planning, grant an option, enter a joint venture, or keep the land and have us design, get planning for and build a new home on it.
Planning application
We prepare drawings and reports designed around single-storey neighbours and the street scene, usually seek pre-application advice, and submit. The council consults neighbours and makes the decision.
Sale or build
If you sell, your solicitor handles the transfer and any lender release. If we build, you receive a written quote after design and survey, and the new home is built and handed over to you.
Bungalows on large plots in towns across Bedfordshire
Questions about bungalows on large plots in Bedfordshire
Are bungalow plots in Bedfordshire good for development?
Some can be, because bungalows often sit on wider and deeper plots than houses. Whether yours works depends on width, depth, access, the street and neighbours. The council makes the planning decision, and a free appraisal is the way to find out.
What routes do you offer for bungalow plots in Bedfordshire?
You can sell part of the plot, sell subject to planning, grant an option, enter a joint venture or combine with neighbours. Or you keep the land and we design, get planning for and build a new home on it.
Is building beside a bungalow easier than behind it in Bedfordshire?
Often, if the plot is wide enough. A new home beside the bungalow usually faces the street, which councils tend to find easier to accept than a home behind with a shared drive. It still depends on spacing and the look of the road.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Bedfordshire?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.