Backland Development
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Combine back gardens with your neighbours in Richmond upon Thames

Talking to the neighbours is usually the first hurdle in Richmond upon Thames, not planning. Some owners are keen, some need time, and some will never want to take part. A combined scheme only needs the gardens that make a workable site, and the one that provides the access matters most.

We can help with that conversation if you’d like, explaining the scheme and the routes plainly to everyone. We never approach your neighbours without your agreement. Each owner keeps their house, signs nothing until they’ve had their own legal advice, and can decide not to take part.

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Aerial view of a row of semi-detached houses whose garden ends have been combined into one plot with a new access
Planning authority
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Postcodes
SW14, TW1, TW2, TW9, TW10
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.3 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Greater London

Before you decide in Richmond upon Thames

A combined scheme in Richmond upon Thames has a wider pool of buyers than a single plot. Once the land has planning, it can be offered to builders and developers working in Richmond upon Thames and nearby places such as Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames and Hammersmith and Fulham, or further afield, who are often more interested in a site for several homes than in one small plot.

If the neighbours choose a sale with planning, the collaboration agreement sets out how a buyer is agreed. If we buy the site, the price is set by the route chosen. Value depends on location, size, access and the permission the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames grants, so we don’t quote figures before an appraisal.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Richmond upon Thames: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.3 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.5 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Richmond upon Thames on 21 March sits about 39° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.3 m. In December the sun is only about 15° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

What happens next in Richmond upon Thames

Nothing happens without every owner’s agreement. If you’re in Richmond upon Thames and think the gardens on your side of the street could work together, call us or use the form. We’ll look at the land first, tell you plainly whether it’s worth pursuing, and only then discuss approaching the other owners, with your say-so and in the way you prefer.

  1. Free appraisal of the combined land

    We look at all the titles together, the possible access points, the surrounding homes and the planning policies that apply, then explain whether a combined scheme looks realistic and roughly what it might allow.

  2. Meet the neighbours

    We meet the owners together or separately, explain how the scheme and the routes work, and answer questions. We don’t approach your neighbours without your agreement, and nobody is committed at this stage.

  3. Agree how value is shared

    Heads of terms set out the route, each owner’s share, any extra for the garden providing the access, what happens if someone drops out, and the cap on each owner’s reasonable legal fees where it applies.

  4. Collaboration agreement

    Each owner’s own solicitor reviews the documents, and everyone signs a collaboration agreement alongside the sale, option or promotion agreement. Mortgage lenders are asked to consent early, and the agreements are usually protected on each title.

Worth checking early

  • Tax depends on each owner’s circumstances, so each should take advice from a tax adviser.
  • The owner of the access garden will live beside a shared road, which is why that garden often receives an extra share.
  • If the garden providing the access drops out before signing, the whole scheme may not work.

Richmond upon Thames: questions to ask

How many neighbours in Richmond upon Thames need to take part?

As few as two can be enough. What matters is that the gardens taking part make a workable site and that one of them provides access to the road. We tell you which gardens are essential and which would simply improve the scheme.

Do we each need a solicitor for a combined scheme in Richmond upon Thames?

Yes. Each owner has different interests, a different title and possibly a mortgage, so each needs independent advice. On option and promotion agreements we cover each owner’s reasonable legal fees up to the cap agreed in the heads of terms.

What if one neighbour in Richmond upon Thames changes their mind?

Before signing, they can simply step back, and we see whether the scheme still works without their garden. After signing, the agreements decide what happens, and they usually bind whoever owns the house next. Your solicitor will check those clauses carefully.

Will the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames prefer a combined scheme to single plots in Richmond upon Thames?

It often gives the council a better scheme to assess, with one proper access and more space between homes. But every application is judged on its merits against the council’s Local Plan, and the decision is the council’s. We test the layout against its policies before applying.

Other options in Richmond upon Thames

Combine neighbours’ gardens near Richmond upon Thames

Find out what your garden could become

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