- Planning authority
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Postcodes
- E1, E1W, E3, E14
- 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 Tower Hamlets
A home placed behind another changes the light as well as the traffic. In Tower Hamlets the sun peaks at roughly 38° in late March and barely 15° 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. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets decides, and its own guidance on separation distances sets the gaps it expects.
How we’d take it forward in Tower Hamlets
Once you get in touch about land in Tower Hamlets, we look at the title plan and any rights of way from the desk, then talk it through with you. If the access looks workable, we visit and measure the route, including the junction with the road. You get a plain account of the options before any planning work starts.
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.
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
- 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.
- A right of way that has served a garage or field for years may not legally cover a new house.
Questions about garden plots in Tower Hamlets
Can I build behind my house in Tower Hamlets if the only way in is my drive?
Possibly. That would be a tandem layout, with the new home behind yours sharing your drive. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets 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.
Do you buy landlocked land in Tower Hamlets?
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.
Could my neighbour and I in Tower Hamlets 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.
How long does sorting access on a Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets
- Build a new home in your garden
- Sell subject to planning
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Garden plot option agreement
- Planning permission for a garden plot