Backland Development
0800 088 6248Free to call Free plot appraisal

Building on a corner plot or side garden in Kensington and Chelsea

There are two ways to turn a side or corner plot in Kensington and Chelsea into a new home. You can sell the land, keeping your house and letting the buyer handle planning and building. Or you can hold on to the land while we design and build the home, which you then keep, let or sell.

Both depend on the same groundwork: a home that respects the street, a safe drive, and enough garden and parking left for your own house. We check that first in a free garden plot appraisal, then help you weigh up the routes against what you want from the land.

Get a free appraisalCheck my garden
New detached brick house on a corner plot beside an older semi-detached house
Planning authority
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Postcodes
SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10, W8
Noon sun, 21 March
About 38°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Greater London

What shapes a plot in Kensington and Chelsea

Corner plots in Kensington and Chelsea raise a highways question early on. Drivers turning the corner need to see each other, and a new drive close to the junction needs its own clear view of the road. The highway authority comments on these points and controls new dropped kerbs separately from planning.

Homes in SW3, SW5, SW7 and SW10 on wide corners often have room to place a drive well away from the junction. On tighter corners, a smaller home or a drive onto the quieter road may be the answer. Either way, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea will want to see that the layout is safe.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Kensington and Chelsea: about 38 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 38°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.6 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Kensington and Chelsea on 21 March sits about 38° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. In December the sun is only about 15° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

The next steps, locally

An enquiry about a side plot in Kensington and Chelsea can begin with a quick call and a couple of photos of the side of your house and the street. We follow up with a desktop appraisal and, if it’s promising, a site visit. If you sell, heads of terms come next and your solicitor takes over. If you build, we move to survey and design, then a written quote.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.
  • Corners kept open by design can be harder to build on than they look; character can matter more than space.
  • Losing a side garden or drive changes how your house works day to day, from parking to getting bins round the back.

Kensington and Chelsea: questions to ask

Is there a fee for checking my side plot in Kensington and Chelsea?

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 Kensington and Chelsea?

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 the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea decides. Our free appraisal tells you whether your corner is worth taking further.

Which body approves a new home on a side plot in Kensington and Chelsea?

The planning decision belongs to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It checks the proposal against the council’s Local Plan, national policy and its own design guidance, and asks neighbours and the highway authority for their views first. Our role is to prepare and submit a strong application; approval or refusal is the council’s call alone.

Can I attach a new home to my house in Kensington and Chelsea?

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.

Other options in Kensington and Chelsea

Corner and side plots near Kensington and Chelsea

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.

Get my free appraisal 0800 088 6248