- Planning authority
- Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
- Postcodes
- WS10
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.5 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- West Midlands
What the council will look at in Wednesbury
When Sandwell Metropolitan Borough 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 37° midday sun that Wednesbury sees on 21 March, an eaves line about 5 metres up throws a shadow close to 6.5 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
Tell us roughly where your Wednesbury 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.
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
- 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.
- A two-storey home on a road of bungalows is often resisted, so designs may need to stay low.
Your questions, answered for Wednesbury
Can I build a second home on my bungalow plot in Wednesbury?
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.
Will Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council allow a two-storey house next to bungalows in Wednesbury?
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.
Will neighbours in Wednesbury 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.
How much garden does a bungalow in Wednesbury 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 Wednesbury
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Corner and side plots
- Plot feasibility and design
- Garage courts and yards