Building on a corner plot or side garden in Worthing

Some homeowners only realise their side garden might be a building plot when a neighbour builds on theirs. Whether yours in Worthing 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
Worthing Borough Council
Postcodes
BN11, BN12, BN13, BN14
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.1 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
West Sussex

How it plays out in Worthing

Streets vary a great deal, in BN11, BN12, BN13 and BN14 as elsewhere. Some have semi-detached pairs where a home attached to the end of a pair would look natural; others have detached houses with generous gaps that the council will want kept. The right answer for your plot depends on what your street looks like.

If you live near Worthing, in places such as Lancing, Shoreham-by-Sea and Littlehampton, the same thinking applies. We photograph and measure the street, then test which options respect it before you commit to anything.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Worthing: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 16 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.1 m21 Dec, noon: sun 16°, shadow 17.7 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Worthing: 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.

How we’d take it forward in Worthing

An enquiry about a side plot in Worthing can begin with a quick call and a couple of photos of the side of your house and the street. We follow up with a desktop appraisal and, if it’s promising, a site visit. If you sell, heads of terms come next and your solicitor takes over. If you build, we move to survey and design, then a written quote.

  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. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

  • 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.
  • Losing a side garden or drive changes how your house works day to day, from parking to getting bins round the back.

Worthing: questions to ask

Is there a fee for checking my side plot in Worthing?

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 Worthing?

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.

Will a new drive near the corner be allowed in Worthing?

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 Worthing?

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

Other options in Worthing

Corner and side plots near Worthing

Find out what your garden could become

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