Building in a large rear garden in Saltash

A home at the bottom of a Saltash garden is backland development: building on land behind existing houses that has little or no street frontage of its own. It differs from infill, where a home fills a gap in the street, and it gets a closer look because of privacy and access.

That closer look is why a free appraisal comes first. We check depth, levels, trees, drainage and the title, sketch a realistic layout and explain what Cornwall Council is likely to focus on. Then you decide whether to sell the land outright, sell it subject to planning, or have a new home built for you.

Overhead view of three long, narrow back gardens with lawns, a greenhouse, vegetable beds and sheds
Planning authority
Cornwall Council
Postcodes
PL12
Noon sun, 21 March
About 40°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.0 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Cornwall

The local picture in Saltash

Wherever your home sits within PL12, the street around it shapes what’s possible. Some roads already have houses built behind the originals, while elsewhere the gardens stay unbroken from end to end. Councils read that pattern when judging a new home, so we look at your surroundings as well as your plot.

The same applies if you live just outside Saltash, in nearby places such as Plymouth, Tavistock and Bodmin. The first step doesn’t change: a free look at depth, access, levels and what a new home would mean for the people next door.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Saltash: about 40 degrees on 21 March and 16 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 40°, shadow 6.0 m21 Dec, noon: sun 16°, shadow 17.3 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Saltash on 21 March sits about 40° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.0 m. In December the sun is only about 16° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

How we’d take it forward in Saltash

Here’s what happens after you get in touch about a garden in Saltash. We look at maps, the title plan and nearby planning history, then call you to talk it through. If the plot looks viable we visit, measure up and check access, levels and trees. You then get a plain summary of what could fit and the routes open to you, with no obligation to take any of them.

  1. Free plot appraisal

    We look at your garden using maps, the title plan and the planning history around you, then talk it through with you. If it looks workable we arrange a site visit. There’s no cost and no obligation.

  2. Measure and test the layout

    We check depth, the width of the way in, levels, trees, drains and what lies behind, then sketch what could realistically fit: one home, two, or nothing worth pursuing, before anyone pays for an application.

  3. Choose your route

    You decide whether to sell the plot outright, sell subject to planning, grant an option, team up with neighbours, or keep the land and have us design, get planning for and build a home on it.

  4. Sale or build

    If you sell, your solicitor handles the transfer of part and your lender’s release of the plot. If you build, we give a written quote after design and survey, then build and hand over the new home.

Worth checking early

  • Surveys and drawings cost money before any decision. On a subject-to-planning sale we normally fund them; on a build you do.
  • A shorter garden changes how your own house feels to live in and may affect what it is worth.
  • Neighbours are consulted and may object. The council decides, and a carefully designed scheme can still be refused.

Questions about garden plots in Saltash

Who decides planning for a home in a Saltash back garden?

Cornwall Council decides, using the council’s Local Plan, national policy and any local design guidance. It consults neighbours and other bodies before reaching a decision. We prepare the application and deal with the planning officer, but the outcome is always the council’s call.

How do I find out if my Saltash garden is big enough for a house?

Ask for a free garden plot appraisal. We measure depth and the width of the way in, check what lies behind, look at levels, trees and drainage, and compare your garden with your council’s separation and garden-size guidance. Size alone rarely settles it, because access and neighbours’ privacy matter just as much.

Can I sell the end of my garden in Saltash and keep my house?

Yes. The plot is sold as a transfer of part and gets its own title at HM Land Registry. If your house is mortgaged, your lender must agree to release the plot. We can buy suitable plots with or without planning, always subject to survey, title and contract.

Can you build a home for my family in my garden in Saltash?

Yes. If you keep the land, we can design the home, apply for planning permission, build it once permission is granted and arrange the structural warranty lenders usually expect. You receive a written quote after design and survey. If the home is for a relative who will share your kitchen and front door, an annexe may suit better.

Other options in Saltash

Large rear gardens near Saltash

Find out what your garden could become

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