- Planning authority
- Salford City Council
- Postcodes
- M44
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.7 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater Manchester
What shapes a plot in Irlam
When Salford City Council looks at a tandem plot, the first questions are usually about the drive: how close cars come to the front house’s windows, whether headlights will sweep across rooms at night, and whether the junction with the road is safe. Planning policy in the council’s Local Plan sets the tests, and design guidance fills in the detail.
Daylight matters too. With the late-March sun climbing to just 37° at midday in Irlam, an eaves line 5 metres up on the new home would throw shade roughly 6.7 m across the ground beside it. Keeping the new home low or well back protects the gardens on both sides.
From first call to decision
We take a Irlam plot with tricky access forward in three stages. First the legal access, confirmed with your solicitor. Then a layout that answers the questions Salford City 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.
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.
Worth checking early
- Buying out a ransom strip or a neighbour’s land costs money and time, and the other owner can say no.
- A right of way that has served a garage or field for years may not legally cover a new house.
- Tandem layouts affect the front house’s privacy and quiet, and councils weigh that carefully.
Your questions, answered for Irlam
Can I get planning permission in Irlam 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.
Can I build behind my house in Irlam if the only way in is my drive?
Possibly. That would be a tandem layout, with the new home behind yours sharing your drive. Salford City 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.
Will Salford City Council accept a shared drive for a new home in Irlam?
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.
Do you buy landlocked land in Irlam?
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.
Other options in Irlam
- Garage courts and yards
- Build a new home in your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Plot feasibility and design
- Sell subject to planning