- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 6
- County town
- Reading
Getting it right in Berkshire
How a council treats garden land depends on its own policies, so the first job for any plot in Berkshire is to find the guidance that applies to your address. Some councils publish detailed advice on backland and tandem homes, with expectations on plot depth, drive width and separation; others rely on general design policies in the council’s Local Plan. The national starting point is the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), and the practical tests are the same everywhere: can people, cars and bin lorries reach the new home, will anyone be overlooked or overshadowed, and does it fit the pattern of the street? The new home will also need 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).
Planning authorities covering Berkshire include Bracknell Forest Council, Reading Borough Council, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough Borough Council, West Berkshire Council, Wokingham Borough Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
Tell us about your garden. We check the title plan, access, local policy and planning history from our desk, then talk it through with you. If it looks viable, we arrange a site visit, with no cost and no obligation.
Written offer and heads of terms
We put our offer in writing, subject to survey, title and contract. Heads of terms then record the plot boundary, the price, access rights, who pays which costs and the rough timetable for each stage.
Solicitors and lender
Your solicitor prepares the transfer of part and asks your mortgage lender to release the plot. Ours checks the title, covenants, rights of way and searches, while surveys of trees, ground and drainage run alongside.
Exchange and completion
Once both sides are satisfied, contracts are exchanged and a completion date is fixed. On completion the money passes through the solicitors and HM Land Registry registers the plot under a new title of its own.
After the sale
Any boundary fence or access works agreed in the transfer are carried out as set out. If the plot still needs planning, we apply as the new owner, and you can see and comment on the plans like any other neighbour.
Sell your garden plot in towns across Berkshire
- Reading
- Slough
- Bracknell
- Maidenhead
- Wokingham
- Newbury
- Earley
- Windsor
- Woodley
- Crowthorne
- Thatcham
- Sandhurst
- Ascot
Questions about sell your garden plot in Berkshire
Do you buy garden plots in Berkshire?
Yes. We buy suitable garden plots in Berkshire, with or without planning, subject to survey, title and contract. That includes long back gardens, side gardens, corner plots and land behind houses, as long as there’s a workable way in. The first step is a free garden plot appraisal.
Is there tax to pay on selling part of a garden in Berkshire?
There can be. Private Residence Relief can cover part of a garden sold while you still own and live in the house, within a permitted area. Selling after you’ve moved out, or developing the plot yourself, can change that. It depends on your circumstances, so take advice from a tax adviser before agreeing a sale.
Can a neighbour stop me selling part of my garden in Berkshire?
Not the sale itself, which is between you and the buyer. Neighbours can object to a later planning application, and the council weighs their points against planning policy. A neighbour can also matter if they own land the access crosses or benefit from a covenant on your title, so we check for both.
Can you build a new home in my garden in Berkshire for me to keep?
Yes. Through our design and build route we survey your plot, design a new home with you, apply for planning and, once permission is granted, build it. You keep the land and the new home, to sell, let or use for family. You get a written quote after design and survey, and any earlier guide price is a guide only.