- Planning authority
- Gateshead Council
- Postcodes
- NE16
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 35°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 7.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Tyne and Wear
What shapes a plot in Whickham
Winter light is often the deciding factor for bungalow neighbours. In Whickham, the December sun gets no higher than about 12° 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. Gateshead Council 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 Whickham 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.
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.
Worth checking early
- 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.
- Replacing the bungalow means moving out during demolition and building, which suits some owners and not others.
Whickham: questions to ask
Will neighbours in Whickham be able to object to a new home next to my bungalow?
They can comment on the planning application, and Gateshead Council takes their views into account. They don’t have a veto. Designs that avoid overlooking and shadow usually draw fewer and weaker objections.
Will Gateshead Council allow a two-storey house next to bungalows in Whickham?
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.
Can I build a second home on my bungalow plot in Whickham?
Possibly, if the plot is wide or deep enough and has a workable way in. The new home needs planning permission from Gateshead Council, which will look at the street scene, neighbours’ privacy and light, garden space and parking. A free appraisal tells you what is realistic.
How much garden does a bungalow in Whickham need to keep?
There’s no single figure. Councils look for enough private garden for both the existing home and the new one, and many have guidance on minimum garden sizes. We check your council’s guidance during the appraisal.
Other options in Whickham
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Sell subject to planning
- Corner and side plots
- Plot feasibility and design