- Planning authority
- Sunderland City Council
- Postcodes
- NE37, NE38
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 35°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 7.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Tyne and Wear
What shapes a plot in Washington
On many backland plots, access matters more than size. A long garden in Washington may have no route to the road wide enough for cars, bins and emergency vehicles, and Sunderland City Council will look closely at the effect of a new drive on the homes either side of it.
For homes in NE37 and NE38 we look at access first: the width beside the house, visibility at the pavement, and whether a strip of land owned by someone else sits in the way. If access only works by joining with a neighbour, we’ll say so, and promoting the combined site may be the better route.
The next steps, locally
Nothing is signed until you’ve seen the heads of terms and taken advice. Call us or use the form with your Washington address, a rough idea of where the garden runs, and whether neighbours might join in. We’ll check the title, access and planning history first, then tell you plainly whether promotion, a sale subject to planning or another route suits your plot.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- You’ll live next to whatever is built, so the layout, windows and new boundary affect your house too.
- The plot’s price isn’t known until it’s marketed with permission; it depends on location, size, access and the permission itself.
- On a single small plot, fixed costs and our fee take a bigger share of the sale price than on a larger site.
Washington: questions to ask
What happens if planning is refused for my garden in Washington?
You keep your land and owe nothing for planning, because our costs are only recovered from a sale with planning. Within the term we may revise the scheme and reapply, or appeal if the grounds are strong. If there’s no realistic route to permission, the agreement ends.
How is a promoted garden plot in Washington 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 Washington?
It usually takes longer than a straight sale. Design and surveys often take a few months, then Sunderland City 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.
Is planning promotion available for a single garden in Washington?
Yes, if the plot is suitable, though promotion is more usual on larger sites. On one modest garden, the fixed costs of planning, legal work and marketing take a bigger share of the sale. After the free appraisal we’ll tell you whether promotion, a sale subject to planning or an option suits your garden best.
Other options in Washington
- Sell subject to planning
- Bungalows on large plots
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Garage courts and yards
- Sell part of your garden
- Plot feasibility and design