- Planning authority
- Durham County Council
- Postcodes
- DH2, DH3
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 35°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 7.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- County Durham
What the council will look at in Chester-le-Street
Before Durham County Council sees an application, the design should already answer the obvious objections from bungalow neighbours: upstairs windows, shadow and the loss of an open outlook. Because the March noon sun over Chester-le-Street stands at roughly 35°, roof pitch and eaves height make a real difference to how far shadows reach.
Rooflights, low eaves and windows facing the plot’s own garden are common answers. Pre-application advice from the council can test them before a full application is made, which saves redesign later.
From first call to decision
Once you’ve chosen a route, we prepare the planning case for Durham County Council, usually starting with pre-application advice. Neighbours are consulted when the application goes in, we answer any queries from the planning officer, and the council decides. If you’re selling, your solicitor handles the transfer; if we’re building, you receive a written quote after design and survey, before any construction is agreed.
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.
Worth checking early
- The order in which you sell the plot and the bungalow can affect your tax, so take advice first.
- Replacing the bungalow means moving out during demolition and building, which suits some owners and not others.
- Filling the gap beside a bungalow can change the look of the street, which councils weigh carefully.
Your questions, answered for Chester-le-Street
Will neighbours in Chester-le-Street be able to object to a new home next to my bungalow?
They can comment on the planning application, and Durham County Council takes their views into account. They don’t have a veto. Designs that avoid overlooking and shadow usually draw fewer and weaker objections.
Can I sell part of my bungalow garden in Chester-le-Street 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 Chester-le-Street?
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.
Do I need to sell my Chester-le-Street bungalow to develop the plot?
No. You can keep the bungalow and sell a plot, have us build on the land for you, or enter a joint venture. Replacing the bungalow is only one of several options, and staying put is often simpler.
Other options in Chester-le-Street
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Sell subject to planning
- Garden plot option agreement
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Planning permission for a garden plot