- Nation
- Wales
- National planning policy
- Planning Policy Wales
- Planning authorities
- 2
- County town
- Llandrindod Wells
How councils in Powys look at it
Councils across Powys judge plots behind houses against Planning Policy Wales (PPW) and their own LDP, and tandem layouts get particular attention. Officers look at the noise and lights of cars passing the front house, privacy between the two homes, garden space for each, and whether a home behind the street suits the area. A design that keeps the drive away from side windows, sets the new home well back and avoids overlooking upstairs windows answers most of those questions before they are asked.
Planning authorities covering Powys include Powys County Council, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority.
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 Powys
Questions about tandem and landlocked plots in Powys
What is a ransom strip, and are they common in Powys?
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.
Will you approach my neighbours in Powys about access?
If you want us to, yes. We agree the approach with you first, explain the proposal clearly to the neighbour, and never pressure anyone. Any deal is written down and both sides take their own legal advice.
How wide must a drive be for a new home in Powys?
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 council decides planning for a garden plot in Powys?
The council for your address decides. The planning authorities covering Powys include Powys County Council and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority. Each judges applications against its own LDP and Planning Policy Wales (PPW), together with its design guidance. We prepare and submit the application and deal with the council’s questions, but the decision is always the council’s, never ours.