- Planning authority
- High Peak Borough Council
- Postcodes
- SK12, SK22
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.7 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Derbyshire
The local picture in New Mills
Overshadowing is often the deciding issue in a long garden. At midday on 21 March the sun in New Mills stands about 37° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line throws a shadow of roughly 6.7 m. In midwinter the noon sun is only about 13° 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.
The next steps, locally
Here’s what happens after you get in touch about a garden in New Mills. 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.
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.
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
- A covenant, a mortgage, a public sewer or a protected tree can slow a scheme down or stop it altogether.
- Neighbours are consulted and may object. The council decides, and a carefully designed scheme can still be refused.
- A shorter garden changes how your own house feels to live in and may affect what it is worth.
Your questions, answered for New Mills
Can I sell the end of my garden in New Mills 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 New Mills 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 New Mills back garden?
High Peak Borough 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 New Mills 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 New Mills
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Corner and side plots
- Garden plot option agreement
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Sell subject to planning
- Planning promotion for your garden plot

