- Planning authority
- Ashford Borough Council
- Postcodes
- TN23, TN24
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
What the council will look at in Ashford, Kent
Shadow and distance are often why a combined site in Ashford works better than a single garden. With the sun at about 39° at noon in late March, the shadow from a 5 m eaves line reaches roughly 6.2 m, so a home squeezed into one narrow garden can end up too close to the houses it backs onto.
Joining gardens with neighbours lets new homes sit towards the middle of a wider site, away from existing windows, with one shared access. Promotion suits that kind of scheme, because planning costs are spread across more land and the site is sold as one well-planned whole. Ashford Borough Council still makes the decision.
From first call to decision
From first call to completion, a promotion in Ashford runs in clear stages: free appraisal, heads of terms, agreement, planning application, marketing and sale. You decide at the points that matter most, signing the agreement, setting the minimum price and approving the buyer. Timing depends on the council’s workload, any extra reports it asks for and the buyer’s solicitors, so we give a realistic range rather than a promise.
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.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- On a single small plot, fixed costs and our fee take a bigger share of the sale price than on a larger site.
- You can’t sell the plot to anyone else while the agreement runs, so the term length matters.
- Promotion takes longer than a straight sale: planning, then marketing, then completion, and each stage can run on.
Ashford, Kent: questions to ask
Do I pay anything upfront for planning promotion in Ashford?
No. We fund the surveys, drawings and planning fees. Those costs are recovered from the sale proceeds, within a cap set in the heads of terms, only if a sale with planning happens. Your reasonable legal fees for the agreement are also covered up to an agreed cap.
Can you look at my garden in Ashford before I commit to anything?
Yes. The plot appraisal is free and carries no obligation. We start with a desktop check of your title, access and the planning policies that apply, then talk it through with you. If the plot looks viable, we arrange a site visit before any heads of terms are drafted.
How is a promoted garden plot in Ashford sold?
After permission, an agent agreed with you markets the plot to builders, developers and self-builders. You see the offers and approve the buyer. The plot can’t be sold below the agreed minimum price without your written consent, and any offer from us has to stand up against the open market.
How long does planning promotion take for a garden in Ashford?
It usually takes longer than a straight sale. Design and surveys often take a few months, then Ashford Borough Council needs time to decide, and marketing and conveyancing follow. The council’s workload, extra reports and any appeal drive the timing, so we give a realistic range after the appraisal.
Other options in Ashford
- Build a new home in your garden
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Large rear gardens
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Garage courts and yards
- Build a home for family in your garden