- Planning authority
- Derbyshire Dales District Council
- Postcodes
- DE4
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.7 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Derbyshire
The local picture in Matlock
Neighbours matter twice on a landlocked plot. They may own the strip you need to cross, and they’ll be consulted when the application goes in. In Matlock, as in Alfreton, Belper and Chesterfield, a calm, early conversation about a shared access usually goes better than a letter arriving out of the blue.
We can make that approach with you. Any deal on the access is written down first, then the planning case is built to suit the council’s Local Plan and the guidance the council uses.
The next steps, locally
We take a Matlock plot with tricky access forward in three stages. First the legal access, confirmed with your solicitor. Then a layout that answers the questions Derbyshire Dales District Council asks about tandem and backland homes. Then the route you chose, whether that’s a sale, an option or a build. You can stop at any stage before signing.
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
- Access is usually the deciding factor on these plots, so a large plot with a poor way in may not be a building plot at all.
- A right of way that has served a garage or field for years may not legally cover a new house.
- Long or narrow drives can mean extra cost for sprinklers, passing places, lighting or a bin collection point.
Your questions, answered for Matlock
Can I build behind my house in Matlock if the only way in is my drive?
Possibly. That would be a tandem layout, with the new home behind yours sharing your drive. Derbyshire Dales District 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.
Is a sprinkler system needed for a home at the end of a long drive in Matlock?
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 Matlock 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.
Will Derbyshire Dales District Council accept a shared drive for a new home in Matlock?
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.
Other options in Matlock
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Bungalows on large plots
- Large rear gardens
- Build a new home in your garden
- Sell part of your garden
- Garden plot option agreement