- Planning authority
- Brighton and Hove City Council
- Postcodes
- BN3, BN41
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- East Sussex
Hove: light, access and policy
A bungalow plot in Hove can work well as a home for family, a smaller home for yourself, or a sale to fund a move elsewhere, perhaps towards Brighton, Shoreham-by-Sea and Lancing 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, Brighton and Hove City 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
Our first visit to a bungalow plot in Hove focuses on four things: the width and depth of the land, the way in, the neighbouring homes and the look of the street. From that we can say which options are worth pursuing, which aren’t, and roughly how long each would usually take, given the surveys and reports the plot is likely to need.
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.
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
- Covenants on older estates can limit building, and resolving one takes time and may cost money.
- 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.
Questions about garden plots in Hove
Can I build a second home on my bungalow plot in Hove?
Possibly, if the plot is wide or deep enough and has a workable way in. The new home needs planning permission from Brighton and Hove City 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 Hove be able to object to a new home next to my bungalow?
They can comment on the planning application, and Brighton and Hove City Council takes their views into account. They don’t have a veto. Designs that avoid overlooking and shadow usually draw fewer and weaker objections.
Could I build a home for a relative on my bungalow plot in Hove?
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 Hove 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 Hove
- Garden plot option agreement
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Corner and side plots