- Planning authority
- Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
- Postcodes
- B66, B67, B68
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.5 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- West Midlands
How it plays out in Smethwick
Before Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council sees an application, the design should already answer the obvious objections from bungalow neighbours: upstairs windows, shadow and the loss of an open outlook. Because the March noon sun over Smethwick stands at roughly 38°, roof pitch and eaves height make a real difference to how far shadows reach.
Rooflights, low eaves and windows facing the plot’s own garden are common answers. Pre-application advice from the council can test them before a full application is made, which saves redesign later.
How we’d take it forward in Smethwick
After a free appraisal, we set out what could realistically fit on your Smethwick 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.
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
- Covenants on older estates can limit building, and resolving one takes time and may cost money.
- A two-storey home on a road of bungalows is often resisted, so designs may need to stay low.
- The order in which you sell the plot and the bungalow can affect your tax, so take advice first.
Your questions, answered for Smethwick
Will neighbours in Smethwick be able to object to a new home next to my bungalow?
They can comment on the planning application, and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council takes their views into account. They don’t have a veto. Designs that avoid overlooking and shadow usually draw fewer and weaker objections.
Could I build a home for a relative on my bungalow plot in Smethwick?
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.
Do I need to sell my Smethwick 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.
Can I build a second home on my bungalow plot in Smethwick?
Possibly, if the plot is wide or deep enough and has a workable way in. The new home needs planning permission from Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, which will look at the street scene, neighbours’ privacy and light, garden space and parking. A free appraisal tells you what is realistic.
Other options in Smethwick
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Sell part of your garden
- Garden plot option agreement
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Sell subject to planning