- Planning authority
- Medway Council
- Postcodes
- ME1, ME4, ME5
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
How it plays out in Chatham
The right layout for a long Chatham 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 Medway Council’s likely concerns, then show you which are realistic and which aren’t worth pursuing.
How we’d take it forward in Chatham
An enquiry about a Chatham garden can start with a short call and a few photos of the garden and the side of the house. A desktop check follows, then a site visit if it’s worth one. If you choose to sell, we agree heads of terms and your solicitor takes it from there. If you choose to build, we move on to a measured survey and design, and a written quote follows.
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.
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
- 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.
Chatham: questions to ask
Can I build a house in my back garden in Chatham?
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 Medway Council makes the decision. A free appraisal will tell you whether your garden is worth taking further.
Does it cost anything to have my Chatham 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.
Who decides planning for a home in a Chatham back garden?
Medway 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 sell the end of my garden in Chatham 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.
Other options in Chatham
- Build a new home in your garden
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Garden plot option agreement
- Planning promotion for your garden plot