- Planning authority
- Norwich City Council
- Postcodes
- NR1, NR2, NR3, NR4, NR6
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.5 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Norfolk
Norwich: light, access and policy
Wherever your home sits within NR1, NR2, NR3 and NR4, the street around it shapes what’s possible. Some roads already have houses built behind the originals, while elsewhere the gardens stay unbroken from end to end. Councils read that pattern when judging a new home, so we look at your surroundings as well as your plot.
The same applies if you live just outside Norwich, in nearby places such as Wymondham, North Walsham and Dereham. The first step doesn’t change: a free look at depth, access, levels and what a new home would mean for the people next door.
The next steps, locally
Here’s what happens after you get in touch about a garden in Norwich. 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.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- A covenant, a mortgage, a public sewer or a protected tree can slow a scheme down or stop it altogether.
- Neighbours are consulted and may object. The council decides, and a carefully designed scheme can still be refused.
- Surveys and drawings cost money before any decision. On a subject-to-planning sale we normally fund them; on a build you do.
Norwich: questions to ask
Does it cost anything to have my Norwich 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.
Will my neighbours in Norwich 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.
Can I sell the end of my garden in Norwich 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.
How long does planning take for a garden home in Norwich?
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 Norwich
- Sell subject to planning
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Corner and side plots
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Plot feasibility and design
- Bungalows on large plots