- Planning authority
- Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
- Postcodes
- L10, L21, L30
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 37°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.7 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Merseyside
What shapes a plot in Litherland
Shadow is one reason combined gardens in Litherland often work better. On 21 March the midday sun reaches roughly 37°, enough for a 5 m eaves line to shade about 6.7 m of ground, and by midwinter, at about 13°, the shade runs much further.
On one narrow garden, a new home can end up close to the houses on every side. On a combined site, the new homes can sit towards the middle, with gardens around them, and the shadows they cast fall mostly on their own land.
The next steps, locally
To start, send us the addresses of the gardens involved in Litherland, or just your own if the neighbours haven’t been asked yet. We run a free desk-based check of the titles, access options and planning position, then explain in writing whether a combined scheme looks realistic before anyone talks to the neighbours in detail.
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.
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.
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.
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
- The owner of the access garden will live beside a shared road, which is why that garden often receives an extra share.
- Several owners have to agree, so a combined scheme usually takes longer to set up than a single plot.
- Every owner’s mortgage lender, title and covenants have to be dealt with, and one problem can hold up everyone.
Questions about garden plots in Litherland
Who gets more if one garden in Litherland provides the access?
Usually the owner of the access garden receives an extra agreed share, because their land makes the scheme possible and their house is most affected by passing cars. The exact method is agreed by everyone in the collaboration agreement before planning starts.
What if one neighbour in Litherland 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.
Who pays for planning on combined gardens in Litherland?
It depends on the route. On a sale subject to planning, we normally fund the application. On planning promotion, nothing is paid upfront and costs are recovered from the proceeds only if a sale with planning happens. On an outright sale, we buy the land as it stands.
Can neighbours in Litherland combine their back gardens for new homes?
Yes, where the gardens adjoin and there’s a workable access. Each owner keeps their house, the land behind is planned as one site, and a collaboration agreement sets out how the value is shared. Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council decides any planning application on its merits.
Other options in Litherland
- Corner and side plots
- Build a new home in your garden
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Sell part of your garden

