Backland Development
0800 088 6248Free to call Free plot appraisal

Building in a large rear garden in Cheshunt

Not every long garden in Cheshunt should be built on, and we’d rather tell you that early. A deep plot with a narrow side gap, a steep slope or a big protected tree may be better left as garden. Others have enough depth and a usable way in to take a well-placed new home.

Our free appraisal sorts one from the other. If yours works, you can part with the land while staying in your house, agree an option or a conditional sale, or keep it and have us design and build. If it doesn’t, you’ve lost nothing but a conversation.

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Overhead view of three long, narrow back gardens with lawns, a greenhouse, vegetable beds and sheds
Planning authority
Broxbourne Borough Council
Postcodes
EN7, EN8
Noon sun, 21 March
About 38°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Hertfordshire

What shapes a plot in Cheshunt

The right layout for a long Cheshunt garden depends on depth, width and light. With the noon sun only about 15° up in December, a two-storey home placed close to a neighbour’s boundary can darken their garden for much of the winter. A single-storey home, or rooms in the roof with carefully placed roof lights, often sits more comfortably.

Wider plots sometimes take two homes, and two long gardens side by side can share a single drive. We test each option against Broxbourne Borough Council’s likely concerns, then show you which are realistic and which aren’t worth pursuing.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Cheshunt: about 38 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 38°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.8 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Cheshunt: around 38° of sun at midday in late March and about 15° 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.

From first call to decision

Send us your address in Cheshunt and a rough idea of what you’d like. We check the planning history around you and the policies Broxbourne Borough 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.

  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. 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.

  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

  • Cars passing beside your house to reach the new home bring noise and headlights; screening helps but doesn’t remove it.
  • 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.

Questions about garden plots in Cheshunt

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

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.

Will my neighbours in Cheshunt 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 Cheshunt back garden?

Broxbourne 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 long does planning take for a garden home in Cheshunt?

It varies. Small schemes often take a few months from submission to decision, and longer if surveys, amendments or extra consultation are needed. Pre-application advice and early surveys add time at the start but can save time later. We won’t promise a date, because the council sets the pace.

Other options in Cheshunt

Large rear gardens near Cheshunt

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