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- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
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- Bath
What to know in Somerset
Bungalow neighbours in Somerset are often the most sensitive to a new home next door, because their living rooms and bedrooms are all at ground level and their gardens are open to view from above. Layouts that point windows away from side boundaries, use high-level glazing where needed, and leave a good distance between buildings answer most objections. For facing back windows, a figure of around 21 metres is used by many councils, but the deciding guide is always the one your own council publishes.
Planning authorities covering Somerset include Bath and North East Somerset Council, North Somerset Council, Somerset 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 Somerset
- Bath
- Weston-super-Mare
- Taunton
- Yeovil
- Bridgwater
- Portishead
- Frome
- Burnham-on-Sea
- Clevedon
- Nailsea
- Keynsham
- Wells
Questions about bungalows on large plots in Somerset
Does selling part of my bungalow plot in Somerset 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.
Is building beside a bungalow easier than behind it in Somerset?
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.
Do councils in Somerset 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.
How much is a garden plot in Somerset worth?
It depends on location, size, access, title and, above all, planning. Two similar gardens in the same street can be worth very different amounts if one has easy access and the other doesn’t. We don’t quote figures before we’ve looked at a plot properly; the free appraisal is the way to find out.