- Planning authority
- Sevenoaks District Council
- Postcodes
- BR8
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
The local picture in Swanley
Take a walk round the junctions near you, in Swanley and in Dartford, Bexley and Longfield. Side gardens that already have a house on them show the kind of thing the council has accepted before, although each new application stands on its own and is judged under today’s policy. A corner that is still open will draw closer attention.
Those local tests are written into the council’s Local Plan and any design guidance Sevenoaks District Council has adopted. Reading both before we draw means the scheme already answers the points an officer is likely to raise.
The next steps, locally
Give us your Swanley address and a sense of what you’re hoping for. Our desktop review covers the policies Sevenoaks 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
- 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.
- The council decides, and neighbours are consulted; a sensible design can still be refused or need changes.
Questions about garden plots in Swanley
Can you build a home beside my house in Swanley for my family?
Yes. A home next door can give a parent or grown-up child their own front door while keeping them close. You keep the land; we draw the house, apply for permission, build it and arrange the structural warranty or other cover lenders accept. The written quote comes after design and survey.
Is there a fee for checking my side plot in Swanley?
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 attach a new home to my house in Swanley?
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.
Could I sell just my side garden in Swanley 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.
Other options in Swanley
- Large rear gardens
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Build a new home in your garden
- Garage courts and yards
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Garden plot option agreement