Backland Development
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Building in a large rear garden in Letchworth Garden City

A home at the bottom of a Letchworth Garden City garden is backland development: building on land behind existing houses that has little or no street frontage of its own. It differs from infill, where a home fills a gap in the street, and it gets a closer look because of privacy and access.

That closer look is why a free appraisal comes first. We check depth, levels, trees, drainage and the title, sketch a realistic layout and explain what North Hertfordshire District Council is likely to focus on. Then you decide whether to sell the land outright, sell it subject to planning, or have a new home built for you.

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Overhead view of three long, narrow back gardens with lawns, a greenhouse, vegetable beds and sheds
Planning authority
North Hertfordshire District Council
Postcodes
SG6
Noon sun, 21 March
About 38°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.4 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Hertfordshire

What the council will look at in Letchworth Garden City

Access is where many garden schemes succeed or fail, in Letchworth Garden City as anywhere. A drive squeezed past the side of a house has to be wide enough for cars, give drivers a clear view as they pull out, and keep noise and headlights from bothering the people next door. A new or wider dropped kerb also needs the highway authority’s consent.

Homes in SG6 with a garage or a wide side passage often start ahead here. Where the gap is tight, a smaller home, a shared drive with a neighbour or access from a lane behind may still work. Because North Hertfordshire District Council will look closely at the detail, we design the access before the house.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Letchworth Garden City: about 38 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 38°, shadow 6.4 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 19.2 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Letchworth Garden City: 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

Here’s what happens after you get in touch about a garden in Letchworth Garden City. 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.

  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 shorter garden changes how your own house feels to live in and may affect what it is worth.
  • Cars passing beside your house to reach the new home bring noise and headlights; screening helps but doesn’t remove it.

Letchworth Garden City: questions to ask

Can I sell the end of my garden in Letchworth Garden City 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.

Who decides planning for a home in a Letchworth Garden City back garden?

North Hertfordshire District 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 Letchworth Garden City?

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 North Hertfordshire District Council makes the decision. A free appraisal will tell you whether your garden is worth taking further.

How do I find out if my Letchworth Garden City 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 Letchworth Garden City

Large rear gardens near Letchworth Garden City

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