Building on a corner plot or side garden in Taunton

Some homeowners only realise their side garden might be a building plot when a neighbour builds on theirs. Whether yours in Taunton could follow depends on its width, how houses are spaced along the road and whether a new drive would be safe, not just on how much spare land you have.

We look at all of that for free. If the plot works, you might sell it outright, sell it subject to planning or grant an option. Or you might keep it and have a home built, perhaps for a relative who wants to live next door rather than with you.

New detached brick house on a corner plot beside an older semi-detached house
Planning authority
Somerset Council
Postcodes
TA1, TA2
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.2 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Somerset

The local picture in Taunton

Corner plots in Taunton 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 TA1 and TA2 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, Somerset Council will want to see that the layout is safe.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Taunton: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 16 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.2 m21 Dec, noon: sun 16°, shadow 18.0 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Taunton: around 39° of sun at midday in late March and about 16° at midwinter. It shows why the gap between your house and a new home behind it is about light as well as privacy. Garden assumed to face north.

From first call to decision

Give us your Taunton address and a sense of what you’re hoping for. Our desktop review covers the policies Somerset 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.

  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. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

  • 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.
  • A new drive close to a junction may not be acceptable to the highway authority, which can force a different layout.

Taunton: questions to ask

Can I build a house on my corner plot in Taunton?

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 Somerset Council decides. Our free appraisal tells you whether your corner is worth taking further.

Is my Taunton 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.

Can you build a home beside my house in Taunton 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.

Could I sell just my side garden in Taunton 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 Taunton

Corner and side plots near Taunton

Find out what your garden could become

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