- Planning authority
- South Downs National Park Authority
- Postcodes
- BN7
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- East Sussex
What the council will look at in Lewes
With the sun at about 16° at noon on 21 December, and around 39° in late March, low winter light is a real concern for gardens in Lewes. A new home that sits too close or too tall can leave your garden or the one next door in shade for much of the year.
South Downs National Park Authority will test this, often against separation distances in its design guidance. Many councils use around 21 metres between facing back windows, though your council’s own guide decides. In a joint venture you see the shading studies before we apply.
From first call to decision
A joint venture in Lewes moves through clear stages: appraisal, structure, heads of terms, development agreement, planning, build, then sale or handover. You receive progress and cost reports at agreed points. Timing depends on the council, the build and the market, so we give realistic ranges with each stage rather than fixed dates, and update them as things move.
Free plot appraisal
We look at your title plan, access, neighbouring homes and the council’s planning policies, then talk through what might be built and whether a joint venture or a simpler sale suits you better.
Choose the structure
We explain the options side by side: a share of sale proceeds, a share of profit, a home back for your land, or a land payment plus a share. You choose what fits your plans and appetite for risk.
Development agreement
Your own solicitor and ours turn the heads of terms into a binding agreement. Your solicitor advises on the security that fits, such as the land staying in your name until a set stage or a legal charge.
Sale or handover
The new homes are sold and the proceeds are split as agreed through the solicitors, or your new home is handed over with its warranty, title and certificates in place.
Worth checking early
- You’ll live next to a building site, and the new home’s design affects your own house and garden.
- Development lenders usually want security over the land, which your solicitor needs to fit around your own protections.
- A joint venture takes longer than any sale: planning, then building, then selling or handover.
Questions about garden plots in Lewes
Can my neighbours join a joint venture in Lewes?
Yes. Combining adjoining gardens can give a better layout and one shared access. Each owner keeps their house, has their own solicitor and signs up to a collaboration agreement setting out how the result is shared, including fair treatment for the garden that provides the access.
Will a joint venture in Lewes affect my tax?
It may. Sharing in the development and sale of new homes can be taxed differently from a simple sale of garden land, and Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) or VAT may arise depending on the structure. Take advice from a tax adviser on your own position before you commit.
Who decides planning for a joint venture plot in Lewes?
South Downs National Park Authority decides, using the council’s Local Plan and national policy in the NPPF. We prepare and fund the application and deal with the council’s questions, but no developer can promise the outcome. If planning is refused, you keep your land, and in the usual structure the planning costs stay with us.
What if the build on my Lewes plot runs late?
The development agreement should set long-stop dates and say which delays are acceptable, such as severe weather, and which aren’t. If a deadline passes without good reason, you should be able to end the agreement. Your solicitor will check your land and share are protected if that happens.
Other options in Lewes
- Large rear gardens
- Sell part of your garden
- Corner and side plots
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Sell subject to planning