Backland Development
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Tandem and landlocked plots in Nantwich

Shared drives, side passages and back lanes are all common ways into garden plots, around Nantwich as elsewhere. Each brings a different question: is it wide enough, is it safe where it meets the road, and does anyone else have a say over who uses it?

Answering those questions early saves money later, because drawings for a plot nobody can legally reach are wasted. Our free appraisal covers the title and rights of way, a measured look at the width, fire and bin access, and the planning view Cheshire East Council is likely to take of a home behind an existing one.

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Narrow gravel drive running between two brick houses to an open gate and a garden plot behind
Planning authority
Cheshire East Council
Postcodes
CW5
Noon sun, 21 March
About 37°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.7 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Cheshire

What the council will look at in Nantwich

When Cheshire East Council looks at a tandem plot, the first questions are usually about the drive: how close cars come to the front house’s windows, whether headlights will sweep across rooms at night, and whether the junction with the road is safe. Planning policy in the council’s Local Plan sets the tests, and design guidance fills in the detail.

Daylight matters too. With the late-March sun climbing to just 37° at midday in Nantwich, an eaves line 5 metres up on the new home would throw shade roughly 6.7 m across the ground beside it. Keeping the new home low or well back protects the gardens on both sides.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Nantwich: about 37 degrees on 21 March and 13 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 37°, shadow 6.7 m21 Dec, noon: sun 13°, shadow 20.8 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Nantwich on 21 March sits about 37° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.7 m. In December the sun is only about 13° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

How we’d take it forward in Nantwich

Call us or use the form and tell us roughly where the land is and how you reach it now. We check the title and the planning history around Nantwich, then come back to you. If the access can’t be secured on sensible terms, we’ll say so plainly and early, and there is nothing to pay for the appraisal.

  1. Free plot appraisal

    We start with the access, not the plot: title plans, rights of way, the width on the ground and the route to the road. It’s a desktop check and a conversation, with a site visit if it looks viable, at no cost.

  2. Title and access check

    With your solicitor we confirm who owns every strip between the plot and the road, what rights already exist and whether they cover a new home. Any ransom strip or missing right shows up at this stage.

  3. Planning application

    We design a layout that answers the access, privacy and neighbour questions councils ask about tandem and backland plots, then apply. The council consults neighbours and decides, and the decision is always the council’s.

  4. Sale or build

    Depending on the route you chose, the sale completes through a transfer of part, or you keep the land and we give a written quote for building the new home after design and survey.

Worth checking early

  • Planning permission gives no right to cross land you don’t own; the legal access has to be secured separately.
  • Buying out a ransom strip or a neighbour’s land costs money and time, and the other owner can say no.
  • Long or narrow drives can mean extra cost for sprinklers, passing places, lighting or a bin collection point.

Nantwich: questions to ask

Will Cheshire East Council accept a shared drive for a new home in Nantwich?

It can, but shared drives are looked at closely. The council will consider the width, visibility at the road, the effect on the house beside the drive, and whether fire and bin access work. A drive with a clear gap from windows and screening alongside generally fares better.

Is a sprinkler system needed for a home at the end of a long drive in Nantwich?

It may be. In England, where a fire engine can’t get within 45 metres of all points inside the home, other measures, often sprinklers, may be accepted if building control and the fire service agree. In Wales, every new house needs sprinklers anyway. Building control decides what’s needed for the specific layout.

Can I get planning permission in Nantwich before the access is sorted?

You can apply for planning on land you don’t own, as long as the owners are formally notified. But permission doesn’t give a right to cross anyone’s land. Most of the time it makes sense to agree access terms first, so the permission can actually be used.

Can I build behind my house in Nantwich if the only way in is my drive?

Possibly. That would be a tandem layout, with the new home behind yours sharing your drive. Cheshire East Council will look at the effect of cars passing your house, privacy, garden space and whether it suits the area. Fire and bin access also need checking. The decision is the council’s, and a good design improves the odds.

Other options in Nantwich

Tandem and landlocked plots near Nantwich

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.

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