- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 2
- County town
- Dorchester
Before you start in Dorset
Highways often decide what a corner plot in Dorset can take. A new drive near a junction needs a clear view of the road in both directions, and the junction itself must stay safe for drivers turning the corner. The highway authority comments on planning applications and separately controls new dropped kerbs. That can move the drive, shrink the footprint or rule out a plot that looked roomy, so we check the visibility on site before any design work.
Planning authorities covering Dorset include BCP Council, Dorset Council.
How it works
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.
Design and planning
We draw a home that sits in the street rather than fighting it, usually take pre-application advice, and submit the application. The council consults neighbours and decides; small schemes often take a few months.
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.
Corner and side plots in towns across Dorset
Questions about corner and side plots in Dorset
What design rules apply to side plot homes in Dorset?
National policy, the NPPF, sets the broad tests, and each council adds its own plan and design guidance. Expect questions on building lines, spacing, roof height, materials, parking, bins and light to neighbouring windows. The detail varies by council, so we always check locally.
Which councils decide side plot applications in Dorset?
The council for your address decides. Across Dorset, the planning authorities include BCP Council and Dorset Council, and each has its own plan and guidance on how new homes should fit into existing streets. We look up the policies that apply at your exact address before suggesting a design.
Are corner plots easier to develop than back gardens in Dorset?
Often, because a new home on a corner or side plot usually has its own frontage and drive. But the council will look closely at the street scene, the building line and visibility at the junction. Some corners were designed to stay open, and that can count against a new home.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Dorset?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.