- Planning authority
- Flintshire County Council
- Postcodes
- CH5
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.7 m
- Planning plan
- LDP
- County
- Clwyd
Before you decide in Deeside
A home placed behind another changes the light as well as the traffic. In Deeside the sun peaks at roughly 37° in late March and barely 13° at the winter solstice, so shadows from even a modest building stretch a long way across a garden in the darker months.
That is why many tandem schemes use a single-storey or low-eaves design. It keeps upstairs windows from looking over neighbours and limits shadow. Flintshire County Council decides, and its own guidance on separation distances sets the gaps it expects.
How we’d take it forward in Deeside
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 Deeside, 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.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- Buying out a ransom strip or a neighbour’s land costs money and time, and the other owner can say no.
- Planning permission gives no right to cross land you don’t own; the legal access has to be secured separately.
- A right of way that has served a garage or field for years may not legally cover a new house.
Deeside: questions to ask
Can I build behind my house in Deeside if the only way in is my drive?
Possibly. That would be a tandem layout, with the new home behind yours sharing your drive. Flintshire County 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.
Will Flintshire County Council accept a shared drive for a new home in Deeside?
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 Deeside?
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.
Could my neighbour and I in Deeside share one new access?
Often, yes. If both your gardens are long, combining them can give one shared drive and a better layout than either garden alone. Each owner keeps their house, and a written agreement sets out how the value is shared fairly.
Other options in Deeside
- Garden plot option agreement
- Bungalows on large plots
- Plot feasibility and design
- Garage courts and yards
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Large rear gardens