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- Norwich
Norfolk: the planning picture
Drainage and wildlife often shape garden plots in Norfolk 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 Norfolk include Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Breckland Council, Broadland District Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, North Norfolk District Council, Norwich City Council, South Norfolk 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 Norfolk
Questions about large rear gardens in Norfolk
Do you look at large rear gardens in Norfolk?
Yes. We cover the whole of Norfolk, 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.
Can neighbours combine their gardens in Norfolk?
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.
What fire and drainage rules apply to garden homes in Norfolk?
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.
Which council decides planning for a garden plot in Norfolk?
The council for your address decides. The planning authorities covering Norfolk include Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Breckland Council, Broadland District Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, North Norfolk District Council and other councils. Each judges applications against its own Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), together with its design guidance. We prepare and submit the application and deal with the council’s questions, but the decision is always the council’s, never ours.