- Planning authority
- Torbay Council
- Postcodes
- TQ1, TQ2
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 40°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Devon
What the council will look at in Torquay
Winter light is often the deciding factor for bungalow neighbours. In Torquay, the December sun gets no higher than about 16° even at noon, so even a modest building casts a long shadow across a low neighbour’s garden and into ground-floor rooms.
Keeping the new home low, setting it back from boundaries, or placing it where its shadow falls mainly on its own land all help. Torbay Council weighs daylight alongside privacy, garden space and the look of the street, so a design that handles all four together stands the best chance.
How we’d take it forward in Torquay
Once you’ve chosen a route, we prepare the planning case for Torbay 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
- Filling the gap beside a bungalow can change the look of the street, which councils weigh carefully.
- Covenants on older estates can limit building, and resolving one takes time and may cost money.
- The order in which you sell the plot and the bungalow can affect your tax, so take advice first.
Questions about garden plots in Torquay
Can I sell part of my bungalow garden in Torquay 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.
Is it worth replacing my bungalow in Torquay with more homes?
Sometimes, where the plot is large and the bungalow is dated or poorly placed. Replacement can fit more homes than building behind, but you would need to move out during the work. We compare both approaches for your plot during the appraisal.
Can I build a second home on my bungalow plot in Torquay?
Possibly, if the plot is wide or deep enough and has a workable way in. The new home needs planning permission from Torbay Council, which will look at the street scene, neighbours’ privacy and light, garden space and parking. A free appraisal tells you what is realistic.
Will neighbours in Torquay be able to object to a new home next to my bungalow?
They can comment on the planning application, and Torbay Council takes their views into account. They don’t have a veto. Designs that avoid overlooking and shadow usually draw fewer and weaker objections.
Other options in Torquay
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Corner and side plots
- Garage courts and yards
- Large rear gardens