- Planning authority
- Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
- Postcodes
- B90
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.5 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- West Midlands
What the council will look at in Shirley
For a corner or side plot in Shirley, the decision rests with Solihull Metropolitan Borough 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.
From first call to decision
Give us your Shirley address and a sense of what you’re hoping for. Our desktop review covers the policies Solihull Metropolitan Borough 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
- Attaching a home to yours brings party wall, fire and sound separation work, and changes the feel of your own house.
- Corners kept open by design can be harder to build on than they look; character can matter more than space.
- A new drive close to a junction may not be acceptable to the highway authority, which can force a different layout.
Your questions, answered for Shirley
Will a new drive near the corner be allowed in Shirley?
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 you build a home beside my house in Shirley 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 Shirley?
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 build a house on my corner plot in Shirley?
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 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council decides. Our free appraisal tells you whether your corner is worth taking further.
Other options in Shirley
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell subject to planning
- Bungalows on large plots
- Plot feasibility and design
- Garage courts and yards