- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 11
- County town
- Guildford
Getting it right in Surrey
Titles are where combined schemes in Surrey most often slow down. Every garden has its own title, its own mortgage lender and sometimes its own restrictive covenants, and every one has to be clear before the site can be sold with planning. We check all of the titles together at the appraisal stage, so a problem with one garden is found early, while there’s still time to deal with it or redesign around it.
Planning authorities covering Surrey include Elmbridge Borough Council, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council, Mole Valley District Council, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, Runnymede Borough Council, Spelthorne Borough Council, Surrey Heath Borough Council, Tandridge District Council, Waverley Borough Council, Woking Borough Council.
How it works
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.
One planning application
We prepare and submit a single application for the whole site, with one shared access and a layout designed around all the existing homes. The council decides it, and nobody can promise the result.
Completion and shares paid
When the site is sold with planning, or bought by us as agreed, each owner transfers their part, and the proceeds are divided through the solicitors exactly as the collaboration agreement sets out.
Combine neighbours’ gardens in towns across Surrey
- Woking
- Guildford
- Esher
- Redhill
- Staines-upon-Thames
- Banstead
- Leatherhead
- Ewell
- Farnham
- Epsom
- Camberley
- Egham
- Sunbury-on-Thames
- Ashford, Surrey
- Walton-on-Thames
- Godalming
- Reigate
- Horley
- Caterham
- Weybridge
- East Molesey
- Dorking
- Haslemere
- Cobham
- Chertsey
Questions about combine neighbours’ gardens in Surrey
Is a shared access road allowed on garden schemes in Surrey?
Shared access roads are common on backland schemes, but each council judges width, visibility and the effect on neighbours. The scheme must also allow for fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough), and bins have to be collected within a sensible distance. We check access first at every appraisal.
How is value shared between neighbours in Surrey?
Through equalisation in a collaboration agreement. Shares are often based on the land each owner contributes, adjusted by agreement, with an extra amount for the garden providing the access. The method is fixed before planning so nobody gains or loses because of where the road goes.
Which councils decide combined garden schemes in Surrey?
The local planning authority for the address decides, and the authorities serving Surrey include Elmbridge Borough Council, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council, Mole Valley District Council, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council and other councils. Each applies the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) with its own Local Plan. A combined site goes in as one application to whichever council covers the land.
How long does planning take for a garden plot in Surrey?
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.