- Planning authority
- Horsham District Council
- Postcodes
- RH12
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- West Sussex
What the council will look at in Horsham
A new home beside yours affects light to your side windows and your neighbour’s. Around the spring equinox, the noon sun over Horsham climbs to roughly 39°, and a 5 m eaves line then casts a shadow close to 6.2 m long. By December the midday sun reaches only about 15°, so the same wall shades far more ground.
On a side plot that shadow may fall across your own flank wall or the neighbour’s garden. We model it for your actual plot, and adjust the footprint, roof shape or gap at the side so the new home doesn’t take more light than it should.
How we’d take it forward in Horsham
Give us your Horsham address and a sense of what you’re hoping for. Our desktop review covers the policies Horsham 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.
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.
- Corners kept open by design can be harder to build on than they look; character can matter more than space.
- The council decides, and neighbours are consulted; a sensible design can still be refused or need changes.
Questions about garden plots in Horsham
Is there a fee for checking my side plot in Horsham?
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.
Is my Horsham 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.
Will a new drive near the corner be allowed in Horsham?
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 I build a house on my corner plot in Horsham?
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 Horsham District Council decides. Our free appraisal tells you whether your corner is worth taking further.
Other options in Horsham
- Bungalows on large plots
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Garden plot option agreement
- Build a new home in your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Garage courts and yards