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Gloucestershire: the planning picture
On bungalow roads in Gloucestershire, the biggest planning question is usually height. Councils tend to resist two-storey homes where everything else is single-storey, because of the effect on the street and on neighbours’ privacy and light. A chalet design, keeping the eaves low and putting bedrooms under the roof slope, often bridges the gap. The council’s design guidance and Local Plan policies set the detail, and we read them for your district before suggesting a layout, so the first sketch already reflects what officers are likely to accept.
Planning authorities covering Gloucestershire include Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council, Gloucester City Council, South Gloucestershire Council, Stroud District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council.
How it works
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.
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.
Bungalows on large plots in towns across Gloucestershire
Questions about bungalows on large plots in Gloucestershire
Can I replace my bungalow with two houses in Gloucestershire?
It may be possible on a large enough plot, with planning permission. The council will weigh the number of homes, their height and bulk, parking, garden space and the look of the street. We assess this during the appraisal.
Are bungalow plots in Gloucestershire good for development?
Some can be, because bungalows often sit on wider and deeper plots than houses. Whether yours works depends on width, depth, access, the street and neighbours. The council makes the planning decision, and a free appraisal is the way to find out.
Does selling part of my bungalow plot in Gloucestershire affect tax?
It can. Private Residence Relief can cover part of a garden sold while you still own and live in the home, within limits, but the order of sales can change things, and land divided off for development may not qualify. Take advice from a tax adviser before deciding.
Can neighbours in Gloucestershire combine their gardens?
Yes. Putting two or more adjoining back gardens together can allow one shared access and a better layout than separate plots. Each owner keeps their house. The owners usually sign a collaboration agreement, with an equalisation clause so that value is shared fairly even though only one garden provides the access. Each household should take its own legal advice.
Other options in Gloucestershire
- Combine gardens with your neighbours in Gloucestershire
- Planning permission for a garden plot in Gloucestershire
- Planning promotion for your garden plot in Gloucestershire
- Garden plot option agreement in Gloucestershire
- Joint venture on your garden plot in Gloucestershire
- Build a new home in your garden in Gloucestershire

