Tandem and landlocked plots in Eastwood

Got land behind your Eastwood home but no obvious way to reach it? You’re not alone, and it isn’t always a dead end. The fix might be as simple as confirming an existing right of way covers a new home, or it might mean negotiating with whoever owns a strip in between.

We start with the access, because it decides everything else. A free appraisal looks at ownership, rights, width and the route to the road, and only then at what Broxtowe Borough Council is likely to accept on layout, privacy and parking. There is no cost and no obligation.

Narrow gravel drive running between two brick houses to an open gate and a garden plot behind
Planning authority
Broxtowe Borough Council
Postcodes
NG16
Noon sun, 21 March
About 37°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.6 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Nottinghamshire

Before you decide in Eastwood

Planning permission from Broxtowe Borough Council and legal access are two separate things. An application can include land the applicant doesn’t own, once those owners have been served notice, yet a grant of permission still leaves the route itself unresolved. Crossing someone’s land needs a right recorded on the title.

We line those up in the right order. Access terms are agreed first, then the application is prepared against the council’s Local Plan, so you aren’t left holding a permission you can’t use.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Eastwood: 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
Noon sun in Eastwood on 21 March sits about 37° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.6 m. In December the sun is only about 14° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

How we’d take it forward in Eastwood

We take a Eastwood plot with tricky access forward in three stages. First the legal access, confirmed with your solicitor. Then a layout that answers the questions Broxtowe Borough Council asks about tandem and backland homes. Then the route you chose, whether that’s a sale, an option or a build. You can stop at any stage before signing.

  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

  • Long or narrow drives can mean extra cost for sprinklers, passing places, lighting or a bin collection point.
  • A right of way that has served a garage or field for years may not legally cover a new house.
  • Buying out a ransom strip or a neighbour’s land costs money and time, and the other owner can say no.

Eastwood: questions to ask

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

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.

Could my neighbour and I in Eastwood 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.

Will Broxtowe Borough Council accept a shared drive for a new home in Eastwood?

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 Eastwood if the only way in is my drive?

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

Other options in Eastwood

Tandem and landlocked plots near Eastwood

Find out what your garden could become

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