- Planning authority
- Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
- Postcodes
- AL9, AL10
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hertfordshire
How it plays out in Hatfield
Access to land behind homes in AL9 and AL10 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.
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 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 Hatfield
Once you get in touch about land in Hatfield, 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.
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
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about garden plots in Hatfield
Will Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council accept a shared drive for a new home in Hatfield?
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.
Can I build behind my house in Hatfield if the only way in is my drive?
Possibly. That would be a tandem layout, with the new home behind yours sharing your drive. Welwyn Hatfield Borough 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.
Can I get planning permission in Hatfield 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.
What if a neighbour in Hatfield 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.
Other options in Hatfield
- Plot feasibility and design
- Garden plot option agreement
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Corner and side plots
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Garage courts and yards