Tandem and landlocked plots in Carlton

Land behind a house in Carlton with no easy way in can still become a building plot, but only once the access is sorted. That might be a shared drive, a strip of a neighbour’s garden, a lane at the back, or a right of way that needs widening.

Before anything else, we look at the access. The free appraisal checks the title plan, existing rights, the width on the ground and the route to the road, then the planning picture with Gedling Borough Council. If the access can’t be made to work on sensible terms, we say so before you spend anything.

Narrow gravel drive running between two brick houses to an open gate and a garden plot behind
Planning authority
Gedling Borough Council
Postcodes
NG4
Noon sun, 21 March
About 37°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.6 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Nottinghamshire

Carlton: light, access and policy

Access to land behind homes in NG4 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.

Gedling 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.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Carlton: about 37 degrees on 21 March and 14 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 37°, shadow 6.6 m21 Dec, noon: sun 14°, shadow 20.7 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Carlton: around 37° of sun at midday in late March and about 14° 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

Call us or use the form and tell us roughly where the land is and how you reach it now. We check the title and the planning history around Carlton, then come back to you. If the access can’t be secured on sensible terms, we’ll say so plainly and early, and there is nothing to pay for the appraisal.

  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.
  • Long or narrow drives can mean extra cost for sprinklers, passing places, lighting or a bin collection point.
  • Planning permission gives no right to cross land you don’t own; the legal access has to be secured separately.

Your questions, answered for Carlton

Could my neighbour and I in Carlton 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.

How long does sorting access on a Carlton 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.

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

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 Gedling Borough Council accept a shared drive for a new home in Carlton?

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.

Other options in Carlton

Tandem and landlocked plots near Carlton

Find out what your garden could become

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