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Getting it right in Hertfordshire
A wide bungalow plot in Hertfordshire sometimes allows a new home beside the bungalow, facing the street. That is usually infill rather than backland, and councils often find it easier to accept because the new home sits in line with its neighbours. The gaps between buildings still matter, though, especially where they are part of the character of the road. We look at spacing, the building line and roof heights along your street as part of the appraisal.
Planning authorities covering Hertfordshire include Broxbourne Borough Council, Dacorum Borough Council, East Hertfordshire District Council, Hertsmere Borough Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, St Albans City and District Council, Stevenage Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council, Watford Borough Council, Welwyn Hatfield 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 Hertfordshire
- Watford
- Hemel Hempstead
- Stevenage
- St Albans
- Welwyn Garden City
- Cheshunt
- Hatfield
- Bishop's Stortford
- Borehamwood
- Hitchin
- Hoddesdon
- Letchworth Garden City
- Harpenden
- Bushey
- Hertford
- Rickmansworth
- Potters Bar
- Berkhamsted
- Ware
- Royston
Questions about bungalows on large plots in Hertfordshire
What routes do you offer for bungalow plots in Hertfordshire?
You can sell part of the plot, sell subject to planning, grant an option, enter a joint venture or combine with neighbours. Or you keep the land and we design, get planning for and build a new home on it.
Do councils in Hertfordshire resist building next to bungalows?
They look carefully at height, overlooking and the character of the street. Two-storey homes among bungalows are often resisted, but single-storey or chalet designs that respect neighbours have a better chance. Each council has its own guidance.
Is building beside a bungalow easier than behind it in Hertfordshire?
Often, if the plot is wide enough. A new home beside the bungalow usually faces the street, which councils tend to find easier to accept than a home behind with a shared drive. It still depends on spacing and the look of the road.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Hertfordshire?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.