- Planning authority
- Wokingham Borough Council
- Postcodes
- RG5
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Berkshire
What shapes a plot in Woodley
A bungalow plot in Woodley can work well as a home for family, a smaller home for yourself, or a sale to fund a move elsewhere, perhaps towards Earley, Wokingham and Reading or further afield. Each of those suits a different route, and the right one depends on how involved you want to be.
Whatever you choose, Wokingham Borough Council will judge the scheme on its effect on neighbours and the street rather than on who it is for. The design has to stand on its own against the council’s Local Plan, which is why we test it properly before any application goes in.
The next steps, locally
After a free appraisal, we set out what could realistically fit on your Woodley plot: a home behind, a home beside, or a replacement scheme. You choose the route that suits you, whether that’s selling, partnering or having us build, and only then do we start on drawings and planning work. Nothing is spent on design until you’ve decided.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- You’ll keep a smaller garden, and a drive alongside your bungalow brings cars past your windows.
- A two-storey home on a road of bungalows is often resisted, so designs may need to stay low.
- The order in which you sell the plot and the bungalow can affect your tax, so take advice first.
Questions about garden plots in Woodley
How long does planning for a bungalow plot in Woodley usually take?
It varies. Surveys and design often take a few weeks to a few months, then the council needs time to decide. Pre-application advice, extra reports or design changes can add time. We give you a realistic idea after the appraisal.
Can I sell part of my bungalow garden in Woodley and stay living there?
Yes. You keep the bungalow and sell the land behind or beside it, with or without planning, subject to survey, title and contract. If the bungalow is mortgaged, the lender must agree to release the plot. Take tax advice before you sell.
Could I build a home for a relative on my bungalow plot in Woodley?
Yes, through our design and build route. You keep the land, and we design, get planning for and build the new home. A separate home needs planning permission; an annexe used as part of the main house is treated differently.
How much garden does a bungalow in Woodley need to keep?
There’s no single figure. Councils look for enough private garden for both the existing home and the new one, and many have guidance on minimum garden sizes. We check your council’s guidance during the appraisal.
Other options in Woodley
- Build a new home in your garden
- Sell part of your garden
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Plot feasibility and design
- Garden plot option agreement