Backland Development
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Building in a large rear garden in Stanley

There are two broad ways to use spare land at the back of a house in Stanley. The first is to sell it: outright, subject to planning, through an option, or alongside your neighbours. The second is to keep it and have a new home designed, approved and built on it for you.

Which suits you depends on how much risk and involvement you want, and on what the plot can realistically take. A single bungalow, a two-storey home, or a pair sharing one drive across two gardens are all possible on the right site. We look at yours first, free of charge, and explain the trade-offs.

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Overhead view of three long, narrow back gardens with lawns, a greenhouse, vegetable beds and sheds
Planning authority
Durham County Council
Postcodes
DH9
Noon sun, 21 March
About 35°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 7.1 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
County Durham

Stanley: light, access and policy

Wherever your home sits within DH9, 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 Stanley, in nearby places such as Chester-le-Street, Consett and Whickham. 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 Stanley: about 35 degrees on 21 March and 12 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 35°, shadow 7.1 m21 Dec, noon: sun 12°, shadow 24.2 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Stanley: around 35° of sun at midday in late March and about 12° 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.

What happens next in Stanley

Once you’ve had the free appraisal, nothing moves without your say-so. For a sale, terms are agreed in writing before you sign anything. For a build, design and survey come first and the quote follows. In both cases the planning application goes to Durham County Council, which consults your neighbours before deciding. Small schemes often take a few months from submission, and surveys or design changes can add more.

  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. Planning application

    We prepare the drawings and reports, usually take pre-application advice, and submit. The council consults neighbours and decides. Small schemes often take a few months from submission, longer if surveys or amendments are needed.

Worth checking early

  • Neighbours are consulted and may object. The council decides, and a carefully designed scheme can still be refused.
  • A covenant, a mortgage, a public sewer or a protected tree can slow a scheme down or stop it altogether.
  • 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 Stanley

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

Durham County 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.

Can I build a house in my back garden in Stanley?

Possibly, if the garden is deep enough, has a safe way in and a new home wouldn’t harm the neighbours or the character of the street. A new separate home always needs planning permission, and Durham County Council makes the decision. A free appraisal will tell you whether your garden is worth taking further.

Will my neighbours in Stanley 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.

Does it cost anything to have my Stanley garden looked at?

No. The garden plot appraisal is free and carries no obligation. It starts with a desktop check and a conversation, and we arrange a site visit if your garden looks viable. You only commit to anything once you’ve chosen a route and seen the terms in writing.

Other options in Stanley

Large rear gardens near Stanley

Find out what your garden could become

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

Get my free appraisal 0800 088 6248