- Planning authority
- Medway Council
- Postcodes
- ME1
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
How it plays out in Rochester
For a corner or side plot in Rochester, the decision rests with Medway Council. Its starting point is the council’s Local Plan, read alongside national policy and any design guidance it has adopted, which usually covers how a new home should line up with, space itself from and match the height of the houses around it.
Our designs begin with those documents rather than a standard house type. Where it helps, we seek pre-application advice, so the home we propose answers local expectations before an application goes in.
The next steps, locally
After you contact us about a side or corner plot in Rochester, we start with a desktop check: maps, the title plan, street views and nearby planning history. We then call to talk through what you want. If the plot looks viable, we visit, measure the street and check the drive position. You get a plain summary of the options, with no obligation.
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
- Losing a side garden or drive changes how your house works day to day, from parking to getting bins round the back.
- A new drive close to a junction may not be acceptable to the highway authority, which can force a different layout.
- The council decides, and neighbours are consulted; a sensible design can still be refused or need changes.
Your questions, answered for Rochester
Can I build a house on my corner plot in Rochester?
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 Medway Council decides. Our free appraisal tells you whether your corner is worth taking further.
Could I sell just my side garden in Rochester 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.
Can I attach a new home to my house in Rochester?
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.
Will a new drive near the corner be allowed in Rochester?
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.
Other options in Rochester
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Large rear gardens
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Garage courts and yards
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Build a new home in your garden