- Planning authority
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
- Postcodes
- IG11, RM6, RM7, RM8, RM9
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater London
Barking and Dagenham: light, access and policy
Winter light is often the deciding factor for bungalow neighbours. In Barking and Dagenham, the December sun gets no higher than about 15° 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. The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham weighs daylight alongside privacy, garden space and the look of the street, so a design that handles all four together stands the best chance.
The next steps, locally
Tell us roughly where your Barking and Dagenham bungalow is and how the plot is laid out. We check the title plan, the planning history nearby and the street from the desk, then talk through what you want from the land. If it looks viable, we visit, measure and sketch the options for you to consider, with no cost and no obligation at any point.
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
- Filling the gap beside a bungalow can change the look of the street, which councils weigh carefully.
- You’ll keep a smaller garden, and a drive alongside your bungalow brings cars past your windows.
- The order in which you sell the plot and the bungalow can affect your tax, so take advice first.
Your questions, answered for Barking and Dagenham
Will neighbours in Barking and Dagenham be able to object to a new home next to my bungalow?
They can comment on the planning application, and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham takes their views into account. They don’t have a veto. Designs that avoid overlooking and shadow usually draw fewer and weaker objections.
Will the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham allow a two-storey house next to bungalows in Barking and Dagenham?
It depends on the street and the design. Councils are often cautious about two-storey homes among single-storey neighbours because of overlooking and the change to the street. Chalet designs with rooms in the roof are a common compromise, but the council decides.
Is it worth replacing my bungalow in Barking and Dagenham 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 sell part of my bungalow garden in Barking and Dagenham 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.
Other options in Barking and Dagenham
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Build a new home in your garden
- Plot feasibility and design