- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 1
- City
- Bristol
How councils in Bristol look at it
Councils across Bristol judge plots behind houses against the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and their own Local Plan, and tandem layouts get particular attention. Officers look at the noise and lights of cars passing the front house, privacy between the two homes, garden space for each, and whether a home behind the street suits the area. A design that keeps the drive away from side windows, sets the new home well back and avoids overlooking upstairs windows answers most of those questions before they are asked.
Planning authorities covering Bristol include Bristol City Council.
How it works
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.
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.
Secure the way in
If a right of way needs widening, a strip needs buying or a neighbour needs to come in, we agree the approach with you and negotiate it, so the terms are settled before planning money is spent.
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.
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.
Tandem and landlocked plots in towns across Bristol
Questions about tandem and landlocked plots in Bristol
Can landlocked land in Bristol ever be built on?
Yes, if a legal access can be secured. That might mean buying a strip, agreeing a right of way, using a back lane, or combining with a neighbour. Planning permission alone doesn’t give a right to cross someone else’s land.
Will you approach my neighbours in Bristol about access?
If you want us to, yes. We agree the approach with you first, explain the proposal clearly to the neighbour, and never pressure anyone. Any deal is written down and both sides take their own legal advice.
How wide must a drive be for a new home in Bristol?
There’s no single figure. In England, fire guidance looks for a route about 3.7 metres wide with 3.1-metre gateways, or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service. In Wales, sprinklers are required in all new houses. Highways and bin collection add their own checks.
Do I need my own solicitor to sell a plot in Bristol?
Yes, always. Your solicitor checks the contract, deals with the transfer of part at HM Land Registry and asks your mortgage lender to release the plot if the house is mortgaged. On option and promotion agreements we cover your reasonable legal fees, with the cap agreed in heads of terms before work starts.