Backland Development
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Tandem and landlocked plots in Cramlington

Plots behind houses in Cramlington 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 Northumberland County Council.

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Narrow gravel drive running between two brick houses to an open gate and a garden plot behind
Planning authority
Northumberland County Council
Postcodes
NE23
Noon sun, 21 March
About 35°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 7.2 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Northumberland

What the council will look at in Cramlington

Access to land behind homes in NE23 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.

Northumberland County 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 Cramlington: about 35 degrees on 21 March and 11 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 35°, shadow 7.2 m21 Dec, noon: sun 11°, shadow 24.6 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Cramlington: around 35° of sun at midday in late March and about 11° at midwinter. It shows why the gap between your house and a new home behind it is about light as well as privacy. Garden assumed to face north.

From first call to decision

Once you get in touch about land in Cramlington, 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.

  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. 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.
  • 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.
  • Long or narrow drives can mean extra cost for sprinklers, passing places, lighting or a bin collection point.

Your questions, answered for Cramlington

Is a sprinkler system needed for a home at the end of a long drive in Cramlington?

It may be. In England, where a fire engine can’t get within 45 metres of all points inside the home, other measures, often sprinklers, may be accepted if building control and the fire service agree. In Wales, every new house needs sprinklers anyway. Building control decides what’s needed for the specific layout.

Will Northumberland County Council accept a shared drive for a new home in Cramlington?

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.

How long does sorting access on a Cramlington 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 Cramlington if the only way in is my drive?

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

Other options in Cramlington

Tandem and landlocked plots near Cramlington

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