- Planning authority
- Durham County Council
- Postcodes
- DH8
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 35°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 7.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- County Durham
How it plays out in Consett
A new home beside yours affects light to your side windows and your neighbour’s. Around the spring equinox, the noon sun over Consett climbs to roughly 35°, and a 5 m eaves line then casts a shadow close to 7.1 m long. By December the midday sun reaches only about 12°, so the same wall shades far more ground.
On a side plot that shadow may fall across your own flank wall or the neighbour’s garden. We model it for your actual plot, and adjust the footprint, roof shape or gap at the side so the new home doesn’t take more light than it should.
From first call to decision
Give us your Consett address and a sense of what you’re hoping for. Our desktop review covers the policies Durham County Council works to, recent applications on nearby side and corner plots, and anything in your title that might restrict building. A clear result leads to a visit when it suits you, after which we explain each route and what it would mean in practice.
Free plot appraisal
We look at your plot on maps, the title plan and street views, check planning history nearby and talk it through with you. If a home beside yours looks possible we visit. No cost, no obligation.
Read the street
We measure the plot and record the building line, the gaps between houses, roof heights, materials and boundary walls, then check where a new drive could go and what drivers would be able to see from it.
Choose your route
Sell the plot outright, sell it subject to planning, or grant an option while you keep your house. Or keep the land and have us design, get planning for and build a new home on it.
Sale or build
For a sale, your solicitor handles the transfer of part and any release from your lender. For a build, a written quote follows design and survey, then we build, arrange the warranty and hand over.
Worth checking early
- The council decides, and neighbours are consulted; a sensible design can still be refused or need changes.
- Attaching a home to yours brings party wall, fire and sound separation work, and changes the feel of your own house.
- Losing a side garden or drive changes how your house works day to day, from parking to getting bins round the back.
Consett: questions to ask
Can I attach a new home to my house in Consett?
Yes, where it suits the street, for example on the end of a semi-detached pair. It needs planning permission as a separate home, fire and sound separation under Building Regulations, and possibly a party wall agreement. We check whether attached or detached fits your road better.
Could I sell just my side garden in Consett and stay put?
Yes. Legally it’s a transfer of part: HM Land Registry gives the side plot a title of its own, while your house keeps the rest. A mortgage lender has to consent to releasing the plot from its charge. Where the plot suits, we buy with or without planning, subject to survey, title and contract.
Is there a fee for checking my side plot in Consett?
There’s no fee. The appraisal is free and you’re under no obligation. We work from maps, the title and a phone call first, and only visit if the plot seems worth it. Nothing binds you until you’ve picked a route and read the written terms.
Can I build a house on my corner plot in Consett?
Possibly, if a new home would respect the building lines, keep the corner feeling open enough and allow safe visibility for drivers. It needs planning permission, and Durham County Council decides. Our free appraisal tells you whether your corner is worth taking further.
Other options in Consett
- Bungalows on large plots
- Plot feasibility and design
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Sell subject to planning
- Garden plot option agreement
- Planning permission for a garden plot

