- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 5
- City
- Liverpool
Getting it right in Merseyside
Access width is where many plots in Merseyside are won or lost. In England, building control looks for fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough), and bins need a store residents can reach easily and a lorry can get near. Highways officers then look at visibility where the drive meets the road. A side passage that suits a wheelie bin may fall well short of what a new home needs, so we measure it early, before a layout is drawn, and tell you if the gap simply isn’t enough.
Planning authorities covering Merseyside include Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, St Helens Borough Council, Wirral Council.
How it works
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.
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.
Tandem and landlocked plots in towns across Merseyside
- Liverpool
- Birkenhead
- St Helens
- Southport
- Wallasey
- Bootle
- Bebington
- Huyton
- Crosby
- Kirkby
- Prescot
- Heswall
- Maghull
- Newton-le-Willows
- Formby
- Litherland
- Halewood
- Moreton
- Haydock
Questions about tandem and landlocked plots in Merseyside
What is a ransom strip, and are they common in Merseyside?
A ransom strip is land controlling access to a plot, whose owner can ask for payment before allowing anyone across. They can turn up anywhere, often as verges, strips kept back by developers, or parts of private lanes. We check for them at the appraisal stage.
Can landlocked land in Merseyside ever be built on?
Yes, if a legal access can be secured. That might mean buying a strip, agreeing a right of way, using a back lane, or combining with a neighbour. Planning permission alone doesn’t give a right to cross someone else’s land.
How wide must a drive be for a new home in Merseyside?
There’s no single figure. In England, fire guidance looks for a route about 3.7 metres wide with 3.1-metre gateways, or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service. In Wales, sprinklers are required in all new houses. Highways and bin collection add their own checks.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Merseyside?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.