- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 3
- City
- Bath
Before you start in Somerset
Across Somerset, the gardens that suit a joint venture best are usually those where a finished home is likely to be in demand and the build is straightforward: decent access from the road, no major tree or drainage constraints, and enough room for the new home and the existing house to keep proper gardens. Where a plot is harder, with a long narrow drive or a sloping site, the extra cost and risk can make a sale or an option more sensible.
Planning authorities covering Somerset include Bath and North East Somerset Council, North Somerset Council, Somerset Council.
How it works
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.
Heads of terms
The key terms go in writing: who funds what, your share or the home you receive, how your land is protected, deadlines, open-book reporting and what happens if planning is refused or the build stalls.
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.
Planning and build
We fund and manage the planning application, Building Regulations approval and construction, reporting costs and progress to you at agreed points. The council decides the application, and building control checks the work.
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.
Garden plot joint venture in towns across Somerset
- Bath
- Weston-super-Mare
- Taunton
- Yeovil
- Bridgwater
- Portishead
- Frome
- Burnham-on-Sea
- Clevedon
- Nailsea
- Keynsham
- Wells
Questions about garden plot joint venture in Somerset
Which councils decide joint venture schemes in Somerset?
The council where the land sits decides; the authorities serving Somerset include Bath and North East Somerset Council, North Somerset Council and Somerset Council. It applies the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) together with its own Local Plan. We check the relevant policies and nearby decisions before proposing any joint venture terms.
Do joint venture homes in Somerset need a warranty?
New homes usually need a 10-year structural warranty, because buyers’ mortgage lenders generally ask for one, though some accept an architect’s or surveyor’s certificate. It’s arranged as part of the build. If you take a home back, you should receive it with its warranty, building control completion certificate and its own title.
Do you offer garden plot joint ventures in Somerset?
Yes. We cover Somerset as part of our coverage of England and Wales. A joint venture is one of several routes we offer, and the free appraisal shows whether it suits your plot and plans, or whether a sale or option would be simpler.
How long does planning take for a garden plot in Somerset?
The council usually has eight weeks from validation to decide a small application, though extensions are often agreed, and the whole process takes longer. Surveys, design work, pre-application advice and amendments all add time, and some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year. We’ll give you a realistic timetable for your plot rather than a promise.