- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 11
- County town
- Guildford
Surrey: the planning picture
Planning costs on a garden plot in Surrey cover more than drawings. The application has to show how the scheme meets biodiversity net gain rules, and the layout must 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). Drainage needs thought from the start, and in practice that means a drainage plan the council will want to see. Trees, wildlife, flood risk and bin collection can each add a report or a redesign. Under promotion we pay for all of it, and it is only recovered, within the agreed cap, from the proceeds of a sale with planning.
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 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 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 planning promotion in Surrey
How long does a planning promotion usually take in Surrey?
Longer than selling the land as it stands. Surveys and design often take a few months, the council then needs time to decide, and marketing and conveyancing follow. Council workload, requests for extra reports and any appeal drive the timing, so we give a realistic range after the appraisal rather than a promise.
Can neighbours combine gardens for planning promotion in Surrey?
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.
Which councils decide garden plot applications in Surrey?
Applications are decided by the local planning authority for the address, and those 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) alongside its own Local Plan and design guidance, and makes its own decision. We check the policies of the council where your land sits during the free appraisal.
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.