- Planning authority
- Canterbury City Council
- Postcodes
- CT6
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
Herne Bay: light, access and policy
A new home beside yours affects light to your side windows and your neighbour’s. Around the spring equinox, the noon sun over Herne Bay climbs to roughly 39°, and a 5 m eaves line then casts a shadow close to 6.3 m long. By December the midday sun reaches only about 15°, 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.
How we’d take it forward in Herne Bay
Give us your Herne Bay address and a sense of what you’re hoping for. Our desktop review covers the policies Canterbury City 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.
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.
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.
- Attaching a home to yours brings party wall, fire and sound separation work, and changes the feel of your own house.
Your questions, answered for Herne Bay
Which body approves a new home on a side plot in Herne Bay?
The planning decision belongs to Canterbury City 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.
Will a new drive near the corner be allowed in Herne Bay?
Only if drivers would have a clear enough view of the road and the junction stays safe. The highway authority comments on this and controls new dropped kerbs. Drives very close to a corner are often resisted, so we check the position on site before designing.
Can I build a house on my corner plot in Herne Bay?
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 Canterbury City Council decides. Our free appraisal tells you whether your corner is worth taking further.
Is there a fee for checking my side plot in Herne Bay?
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.
Other options in Herne Bay
- Build a new home in your garden
- Plot feasibility and design
- Garage courts and yards
- Sell part of your garden
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Planning promotion for your garden plot