- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 11
- County town
- Guildford
How councils in Surrey look at it
Covenants are common on estate corner plots, in Surrey as elsewhere. Some were written to keep corners open or limit each plot to one house, and they still bind the land today unless released or modified. Options include indemnity insurance, agreement with whoever benefits, or an application to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). Your lender must also agree to release the plot. We read the title documents during the appraisal, so you know about any restriction before paying for designs.
Planning authorities covering Surrey include Elmbridge Borough Council, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council, Mole Valley District Council, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, Runnymede Borough Council, Spelthorne Borough Council, Surrey Heath Borough Council, Tandridge District Council, Waverley Borough Council, Woking Borough Council.
How it works
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.
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.
Corner and side plots in towns across Surrey
- Woking
- Guildford
- Esher
- Redhill
- Staines-upon-Thames
- Banstead
- Leatherhead
- Ewell
- Farnham
- Epsom
- Camberley
- Egham
- Sunbury-on-Thames
- Ashford, Surrey
- Walton-on-Thames
- Godalming
- Reigate
- Horley
- Caterham
- Weybridge
- East Molesey
- Dorking
- Haslemere
- Cobham
- Chertsey
Questions about corner and side plots in Surrey
Which councils decide side plot applications in Surrey?
The council for your address decides. Across Surrey, the planning authorities include Elmbridge Borough Council, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council, Mole Valley District Council, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council and other councils, and each has its own plan and guidance on how new homes should fit into existing streets. We look up the policies that apply at your exact address before suggesting a design.
Are corner plots easier to develop than back gardens in Surrey?
Often, because a new home on a corner or side plot usually has its own frontage and drive. But the council will look closely at the street scene, the building line and visibility at the junction. Some corners were designed to stay open, and that can count against a new home.
Can I sell a side plot in Surrey without planning?
Yes. A direct purchase can happen before any permission exists, on the usual basis of survey, title and contract. Alternatively, a sale subject to planning lets us fund the application in the normal way, and if the council refuses, the land stays yours. Your free appraisal sets out which suits your plot.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Surrey?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.