- Planning authority
- Cornwall Council
- Postcodes
- TR1
- 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 Truro
Overshadowing is often the deciding issue in a long garden. At midday on 21 March the sun in Truro stands about 40° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line throws a shadow of roughly 6.0 m. In midwinter the noon sun is only about 16° up and shadows stretch around three times as far.
That’s why the gap between a new home and neighbouring gardens matters, and why a lower roof, or a home set further from the boundary, can make a scheme acceptable. We check the shadows on your actual plot rather than relying on rules of thumb.
What happens next in Truro
Send us your address in Truro and a rough idea of what you’d like. We check the planning history around you and the policies Cornwall Council applies, and look for anything in the title that could get in the way. If the garden passes those checks, we arrange a visit at a time that suits you and explain each route in plain terms.
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.
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.
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.
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
- A covenant, a mortgage, a public sewer or a protected tree can slow a scheme down or stop it altogether.
- Surveys and drawings cost money before any decision. On a subject-to-planning sale we normally fund them; on a build you do.
- Cars passing beside your house to reach the new home bring noise and headlights; screening helps but doesn’t remove it.
Questions about garden plots in Truro
Can I sell the end of my garden in Truro 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.
Will my neighbours in Truro get a say?
Yes. The council consults neighbours on planning applications, and they can comment or object. Their comments are weighed alongside policy, but objections alone don’t decide the outcome. A layout that respects privacy, light and access usually gives neighbours less to worry about, so we design with them in mind.
Who decides planning for a home in a Truro 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 Truro 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.
Other options in Truro
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Sell subject to planning
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Corner and side plots
- Plot feasibility and design