- Planning authority
- Torridge District Council
- Postcodes
- EX39
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Devon
Before you decide in Bideford
Back lanes behind homes in EX39 can be public roads, private tracks or a mix of both. If the lane is maintained at public expense, it will be on the list of streets the highway authority keeps, which anyone can check. If it’s private, you need a right to use it with vehicles for a new home.
We check that before planning anything, then look at how Torridge District Council is likely to judge a home reached from the back rather than past the front.
What happens next in Bideford
We take a Bideford plot with tricky access forward in three stages. First the legal access, confirmed with your solicitor. Then a layout that answers the questions Torridge 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.
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.
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
- A right of way that has served a garage or field for years may not legally cover a new house.
- 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.
- Planning permission gives no right to cross land you don’t own; the legal access has to be secured separately.
Questions about garden plots in Bideford
Do you buy landlocked land in Bideford?
We can, where the access problem looks solvable. Any purchase is subject to survey, title and contract. If securing access would cost more than it’s worth, or the owner of the strip won’t deal, we tell you that early rather than wasting your time.
How do I find out if a lane behind my Bideford home is a public road?
The highway authority keeps a list of streets maintained at public expense, and anyone can inspect it free of charge. If the lane isn’t on it, it’s probably private, and you’ll need to know who owns it and whether your title gives a vehicle right of way that would cover a new home.
Can I build behind my house in Bideford if the only way in is my drive?
Possibly. That would be a tandem layout, with the new home behind yours sharing your drive. Torridge 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.
How long does sorting access on a Bideford plot usually take?
It varies. Confirming an existing right of way can take a few weeks of solicitor time. Negotiating with a neighbour or a ransom strip owner often takes longer, and depends on how quickly everyone agrees and takes advice. Once we’ve seen the title and the route, we can give you a sensible estimate.
Other options in Bideford
- Garage courts and yards
- Build a new home in your garden
- Bungalows on large plots
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Garden plot option agreement