- Planning authority
- Westminster City Council
- Postcodes
- NW8, SW1X, W1H, W1M, W2
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater London
Before you decide in Westminster
A home placed behind another changes the light as well as the traffic. In Westminster 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. Westminster City Council decides, and its own guidance on separation distances sets the gaps it expects.
How we’d take it forward in Westminster
The first step is a free, no-obligation appraisal. For a Westminster plot with a difficult way in, that means checking who owns each part of the route, what rights exist and how wide it is on the ground. If a neighbour or a ransom strip is involved, we agree an approach with you before contacting anyone.
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.
- Long or narrow drives can mean extra cost for sprinklers, passing places, lighting or a bin collection point.
- Planning permission gives no right to cross land you don’t own; the legal access has to be secured separately.
Your questions, answered for Westminster
Can I get planning permission in Westminster 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.
How do I find out if a lane behind my Westminster 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.
What if a neighbour in Westminster owns the strip I need to cross?
Then you need their agreement, either to buy the strip or to grant a right of way over it. Terms are negotiated, often as a one-off payment or a share of the value the access creates. Both sides should take legal advice. We can make the approach with you.
Could my neighbour and I in Westminster 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 Westminster
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Garage courts and yards
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell subject to planning
- Corner and side plots
- Large rear gardens