- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 5
- City
- Liverpool
Getting it right in Merseyside
Drainage and wildlife often shape garden plots in Merseyside more than owners expect. A new home needs somewhere for rainwater and foul water to go, and you will need a drainage plan the council will want to see. Mature gardens can matter for wildlife, so expect biodiversity net gain rules to come into the design, along with tree surveys where large trees stand near the proposed home or drive. Public sewers crossing the garden may need a build-over agreement with the water company. None of this is a reason to give up, but it is a reason to survey before designing.
Planning authorities covering Merseyside include Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, St Helens Borough Council, Wirral 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 Merseyside
- Liverpool
- Birkenhead
- St Helens
- Southport
- Wallasey
- Bootle
- Bebington
- Huyton
- Crosby
- Kirkby
- Prescot
- Heswall
- Maghull
- Newton-le-Willows
- Formby
- Litherland
- Halewood
- Moreton
- Haydock
Questions about large rear gardens in Merseyside
Do you look at large rear gardens in Merseyside?
Yes. We cover the whole of Merseyside, as part of our coverage across England and Wales. Send us your address and a few details about your garden, and we’ll carry out a free desktop appraisal before suggesting a site visit.
Is planning policy for back gardens the same across Merseyside?
No. National policy, the NPPF, applies everywhere, but each council adds its own plan and design guidance. Separation distances, garden sizes and parking standards can all differ. That’s why we never quote one rule for a whole county and always check the policies for your address.
Which councils decide garden plot applications in Merseyside?
Applications go to the local planning authority for your address. Across Merseyside, the authorities include Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, St Helens Borough Council and Wirral 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.
Can neighbours in Merseyside combine their gardens?
Yes. Putting two or more adjoining back gardens together can allow one shared access and a better layout than separate plots. Each owner keeps their house. The owners usually sign a collaboration agreement, with an equalisation clause so that value is shared fairly even though only one garden provides the access. Each household should take its own legal advice.