Tandem and landlocked plots in Emsworth

Plots behind houses in Emsworth with narrow, shared or missing access are easy to give up on too early. The land may be ideal, with the way in the only obstacle. Sometimes that obstacle is a ransom strip; sometimes it’s a right of way written decades ago for a garage or a field.

Backland Development is new, part of the S&K Group, and we’ll be straight with you about whether the access can be solved. If it can, we explain the routes, from a direct sale to a design and build, and what each would involve with Havant Borough Council.

Narrow gravel drive running between two brick houses to an open gate and a garden plot behind
Planning authority
Havant Borough Council
Postcodes
PO10
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.1 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Hampshire

What the council will look at in Emsworth

Planning permission from Havant Borough Council and legal access are two separate things. An application can include land the applicant doesn’t own, once those owners have been served notice, yet a grant of permission still leaves the route itself unresolved. Crossing someone’s land needs a right recorded on the title.

We line those up in the right order. Access terms are agreed first, then the application is prepared against the council’s Local Plan, so you aren’t left holding a permission you can’t use.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Emsworth: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 16 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.1 m21 Dec, noon: sun 16°, shadow 17.8 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Emsworth on 21 March sits about 39° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.1 m. In December the sun is only about 16° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

From first call to decision

We take a Emsworth plot with tricky access forward in three stages. First the legal access, confirmed with your solicitor. Then a layout that answers the questions Havant Borough 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.
  • A right of way that has served a garage or field for years may not legally cover a new house.
  • Long or narrow drives can mean extra cost for sprinklers, passing places, lighting or a bin collection point.

Your questions, answered for Emsworth

Can I get planning permission in Emsworth 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.

Could my neighbour and I in Emsworth 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.

What if a neighbour in Emsworth 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.

Do you buy landlocked land in Emsworth?

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 Emsworth

Tandem and landlocked plots near Emsworth

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.