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- Hereford
Getting it right in Herefordshire
Old titles can hold surprises, and gardens in Herefordshire are no exception. A restrictive covenant may limit building, a mortgage lender must agree to release the plot, and a strip of land you don’t own can sit between your garden and the lane behind it. Trees in a conservation area or under a Tree Preservation Order need consent or notice before any work. We read the title documents as part of the appraisal, so problems come to light before you spend money on design rather than after it.
Planning authorities covering Herefordshire include Herefordshire Council.
How it works
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.
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.
Large rear gardens in towns across Herefordshire
Questions about large rear gardens in Herefordshire
What fire and drainage rules apply to garden homes in Herefordshire?
Every new home must allow for fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage, expect a drainage plan the council will want to see. Both can affect where a home sits in a long garden and how the drive is laid out, so we check them early rather than after the design is drawn.
Can neighbours combine their gardens in Herefordshire?
Yes. Several adjoining back gardens can be put together for one scheme with a shared access, which can give a better layout than separate plots. Each owner keeps their own house, and an agreement shares the value fairly even when only one garden provides the way in.
Which councils decide garden plot applications in Herefordshire?
Applications go to the local planning authority for your address. Across Herefordshire, the authorities include Herefordshire Council. Each works to its own development plan and design guidance, so the tests for a rear garden home can differ from one council to the next. We check the right ones for your plot.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Herefordshire?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.