- Planning authority
- London Borough of Havering
- Postcodes
- RM1, RM2, RM3, RM11, RM12
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater London
The local picture in Havering
Access to land behind homes in RM1, RM2, RM3 and RM11 can differ from one street to the next: a side drive, a garage with a gap beside it, a back lane, or nothing at all. That is why we measure the actual route rather than relying on a map.
The London Borough of Havering will consult neighbours on any application, and the people living along the drive are the ones most affected. A layout that keeps cars away from their windows, with a fence or planting alongside, usually answers the strongest objections before they’re made.
What happens next in Havering
We take a Havering plot with tricky access forward in three stages. First the legal access, confirmed with your solicitor. Then a layout that answers the questions the London Borough of Havering 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
- Tandem layouts affect the front house’s privacy and quiet, and councils weigh that carefully.
- Planning permission gives no right to cross land you don’t own; the legal access has to be secured separately.
- 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.
Your questions, answered for Havering
Is a sprinkler system needed for a home at the end of a long drive in Havering?
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.
How long does sorting access on a Havering 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.
Do you buy landlocked land in Havering?
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.
Will the London Borough of Havering accept a shared drive for a new home in Havering?
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 Havering
- Garden plot option agreement
- Large rear gardens
- Corner and side plots
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Build a new home in your garden
- Garage courts and yards