- Planning authority
- Lancaster City Council
- Postcodes
- LA1
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 36°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.9 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Lancashire
What the council will look at in Lancaster
When Lancaster City Council looks at a new home next to a bungalow, the first concern is usually height. A two-storey building among single-storey neighbours can overlook gardens and change the look of the road, so many schemes stay low or use rooms in the roof.
Light matters too. Under the 36° midday sun that Lancaster sees on 21 March, an eaves line about 5 metres up throws a shadow close to 6.9 m long, while a bungalow’s lower eaves throw much less. Next door to a bungalow, that difference shows clearly in the garden.
From first call to decision
After a free appraisal, we set out what could realistically fit on your Lancaster 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.
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.
- Covenants on older estates can limit building, and resolving one takes time and may cost money.
Lancaster: questions to ask
Is it worth replacing my bungalow in Lancaster 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.
Do I need to sell my Lancaster 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.
Could I build a home for a relative on my bungalow plot in Lancaster?
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.
Can I sell part of my bungalow garden in Lancaster 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 Lancaster
- Garage courts and yards
- Sell part of your garden
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell subject to planning
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Planning permission for a garden plot