- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 2
- County town
- Dorchester
Getting it right in Dorset
Councils across Dorset tend to judge a garden plot on a short list of tests: whether the access is safe and won’t disturb neighbours, whether the new home fits the pattern of the area, and whether existing homes keep their privacy, daylight and enough garden. Many councils use separation guides of around 21 metres between facing back windows, though your council’s own guide decides. We check those tests at the appraisal stage, before any planning money is spent.
Planning authorities covering Dorset include BCP Council, Dorset Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We check your title plan, access, the surrounding gardens and the policies in the council’s Local Plan as a desktop exercise, then talk it through with you. If it looks viable, we visit. No cost and no obligation.
Heads of terms
We set out the deal in writing: the term, how our fee works, the cap on planning costs we can recover, the minimum price, the marketing approach and the cap on your reasonable legal fees that we cover.
Agreement signed
Your solicitor and ours turn the heads of terms into a promotion agreement. It’s usually protected by an entry on your title, and if your house is mortgaged, your lender is asked to consent early.
We apply for planning
We commission the surveys and drawings, take pre-application advice where it helps, submit the application and deal with the council’s questions. You pay nothing at this stage, and the decision is the council’s.
Marketing and sale
With permission granted, the plot is marketed as the agreement sets out. You see the offers and approve the buyer, and the plot can’t be sold below the minimum price without your written consent.
Completion and payout
On completion, sale costs, our capped planning costs and our fee come out of the proceeds in the order the agreement sets. The balance is paid to you through your solicitor.
Planning promotion in towns across Dorset
Questions about planning promotion in Dorset
Do you offer planning promotion for garden plots in Dorset?
Yes. We cover all of Dorset as part of our coverage of England and Wales. Promotion is one of several routes we offer, and the free appraisal tells you whether it suits your plot or whether a sale, an option or a joint venture would fit better.
Can neighbours combine gardens for planning promotion in Dorset?
Yes. Combining adjoining gardens often gives a better layout and one shared access, and it suits promotion well. Each owner keeps their house and needs their own solicitor, and a collaboration agreement sets out how proceeds are shared, including fair treatment for the garden that provides the access.
What does planning promotion cost a garden owner in Dorset?
Nothing upfront. We pay for surveys, drawings and planning fees, and recover them from the sale proceeds, within an agreed cap, only if a sale with planning happens. Our fee also comes from the proceeds, on a basis agreed in writing. Your reasonable legal fees for the agreement are covered up to a cap in the heads of terms.
How long does planning take for a garden plot in Dorset?
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.