- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 1
- County town
- Morpeth
Northumberland: the planning picture
Mature gardens often come with big trees, and that matters when you sell. A tree covered by a Tree Preservation Order, or standing in a conservation area, needs consent or notice before it can be cut back or felled, and its roots may rule out building close by. Councils in Northumberland may also protect garden trees and hedges through the council’s Local Plan for the part they play in the look of a street. We check for protected trees during the appraisal and design around them where we can, rather than treating every one as a reason to walk away.
Planning authorities covering Northumberland include Northumberland County 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 Northumberland
Questions about sell your garden plot in Northumberland
Can a neighbour stop me selling part of my garden in Northumberland?
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.
Do you need planning permission to sell land behind a house in Northumberland?
No. Planning permission isn’t needed to sell land, only to build a new home on it. We buy plots outright without planning when the appraisal shows a realistic prospect, and we also buy plots that already have permission. Either way, the purchase is subject to survey, title and contract.
Which council decides planning for a garden plot in Northumberland?
The local planning authority for your address decides. Across Northumberland, the authorities include Northumberland County Council, working to Local Plan policies alongside the NPPF. Policies on garden land can differ from one authority to the next, so we always check the ones that apply to your street.
Which council decides planning for a garden plot in Northumberland?
The council for your address decides. The planning authorities covering Northumberland include Northumberland County Council. Each judges applications against its own Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), together with its design guidance. We prepare and submit the application and deal with the council’s questions, but the decision is always the council’s, never ours.