- Planning authority
- North Yorkshire Council
- Postcodes
- YO22
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 36°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 7.0 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- North Yorkshire
Before you decide in Whitby
Light is often the deciding issue on a garden plot. At midday on 21 March the sun in Whitby stands about 36° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line casts a shadow of roughly 7.0 m across the ground behind it. By late December, with the sun only around 12° up, those shadows stretch much further.
That’s why the gap between your house and any new home matters so much to North Yorkshire Council, and why a single-storey or dormer design sometimes succeeds where a full two storeys wouldn’t. We test the shadows before we offer, because they affect what the plot can hold.
From first call to decision
Once you get in touch, we look up your title at HM Land Registry and check what the council’s Local Plan says about homes in gardens. Then we talk, with no obligation on your side. If the plot works, we visit, agree the boundary with you on a plan and put our offer in writing. Your solicitor and ours take it from there, and the pace suits you.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- A sale without planning is priced for the planning risk we take on, so it usually pays less than the same plot with permission.
- A new home will be built close to yours, with building work and deliveries for a period.
- Your house keeps a smaller garden, which some future buyers will welcome and others won’t.
Questions about garden plots in Whitby
Do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) when I sell a garden plot in Whitby?
No. Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) falls on the buyer of land, so on a sale to us any amount due is ours to pay. What may affect you as the seller is Capital Gains Tax, depending on your circumstances and whether you still live in the house. Take advice from a tax adviser before you agree a deal.
What if my Whitby garden has a protected tree?
A tree covered by a Tree Preservation Order, or standing in a conservation area, needs consent or notice before work. That doesn’t automatically stop a sale. Often the new home is placed to avoid the roots and canopy, and North Yorkshire Council’s tree officer may comment on any application. We check for protected trees during the appraisal.
How much is a garden plot in Whitby worth?
It depends on location, size, access and planning, so there’s no honest figure without looking at the plot itself. A garden with good access and room for a well-spaced home is a stronger plot than one with a narrow, shared or doubtful route in. Our free appraisal is the way to find out, and any offer comes in writing.
Do you buy garden plots in Scarborough, Guisborough and Redcar as well as Whitby?
Yes. We cover England and Wales, including the places around Whitby. The process is the same wherever your garden is, although planning policies depend on the council for your address, so our desk check always starts by finding out which one that is.
Other options in Whitby
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Bungalows on large plots
- Garden plot option agreement
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Build a new home in your garden
- Corner and side plots

