- Planning authority
- Dover District Council
- Postcodes
- CT14
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
How it plays out in Deal
Light is a real test on side plots because the new home sits so close to existing ones. In midwinter the noon sun in Deal is only around 15° above the horizon, so even a modest roof can shade a neighbour’s side windows or garden for long periods.
Councils, including Dover District Council, look at daylight and sunlight to existing homes when deciding applications. A lower eaves line, a hipped roof or a slightly wider gap at the side can make the difference, and we test those options before the drawings are finalised.
From first call to decision
Give us your Deal address and a sense of what you’re hoping for. Our desktop review covers the policies Dover District 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.
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.
Worth checking early
- A new drive close to a junction may not be acceptable to the highway authority, which can force a different layout.
- 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.
Questions about garden plots in Deal
Is there a fee for checking my side plot in Deal?
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.
Which body approves a new home on a side plot in Deal?
The planning decision belongs to Dover District Council. 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 build a house on my corner plot in Deal?
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 Dover District Council decides. Our free appraisal tells you whether your corner is worth taking further.
Is my Deal side garden wide enough for a new house?
It depends on how wide homes are in your street, the gaps between them, whether the new home would be attached or detached and what the council’s design guidance says. There’s no single minimum width. We measure your plot and the street as part of a free appraisal.
Other options in Deal
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Bungalows on large plots
- Sell subject to planning
- Garden plot option agreement

