Tandem and landlocked plots in Lytham St Annes

Plots behind houses in Lytham St Annes 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 Fylde Council.

Narrow gravel drive running between two brick houses to an open gate and a garden plot behind
Planning authority
Fylde Council
Postcodes
FY8
Noon sun, 21 March
About 36°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.8 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Lancashire

Lytham St Annes: light, access and policy

Access to land behind homes in FY8 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.

Fylde 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.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Lytham St Annes: about 36 degrees on 21 March and 13 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 36°, shadow 6.8 m21 Dec, noon: sun 13°, shadow 22.0 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Lytham St Annes on 21 March sits about 36° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.8 m. In December the sun is only about 13° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

From first call to decision

The first step is a free, no-obligation appraisal. For a Lytham St Annes 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.

  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. 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.

  3. 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.

  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

  • 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.
  • Buying out a ransom strip or a neighbour’s land costs money and time, and the other owner can say no.

Your questions, answered for Lytham St Annes

How long does sorting access on a Lytham St Annes 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.

Can I build behind my house in Lytham St Annes if the only way in is my drive?

Possibly. That would be a tandem layout, with the new home behind yours sharing your drive. Fylde 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.

Do you buy landlocked land in Lytham St Annes?

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 Lytham St Annes 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 Lytham St Annes

Tandem and landlocked plots near Lytham St Annes

Find out what your garden could become

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