- Planning authority
- Ceredigion County Council
- Postcodes
- SA43
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.4 m
- Planning plan
- LDP
- County
- Dyfed
Before you decide in Cardigan
Winter light is often the deciding factor for bungalow neighbours. In Cardigan, the December sun gets no higher than about 14° 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. Ceredigion County 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 Cardigan
After a free appraisal, we set out what could realistically fit on your Cardigan 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.
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.
- You’ll keep a smaller garden, and a drive alongside your bungalow brings cars past your windows.
- Covenants on older estates can limit building, and resolving one takes time and may cost money.
Cardigan: questions to ask
Can I sell part of my bungalow garden in Cardigan 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.
Will neighbours in Cardigan be able to object to a new home next to my bungalow?
They can comment on the planning application, and Ceredigion 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.
How much garden does a bungalow in Cardigan 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.
How long does planning for a bungalow plot in Cardigan 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.
Other options in Cardigan
- Sell subject to planning
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Large rear gardens
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Plot feasibility and design
- Build a new home in your garden

