- Planning authority
- City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
- Postcodes
- BD1, BD2, BD3, BD5, BD7
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 36°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.8 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- West Yorkshire
What the council will look at in Bradford
Light is often the deciding issue on a garden plot. At midday on 21 March the sun in Bradford stands about 36° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line casts a shadow of roughly 6.8 m across the ground behind it. By late December, with the sun only around 13° up, those shadows stretch much further.
That’s why the gap between your house and any new home matters so much to City of Bradford Metropolitan District 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.
What happens next in Bradford
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- Selling the plot after you have sold or moved out of the house can change the tax position; take advice from a tax adviser.
- Lender consent, old covenants or access disputes can slow a sale, and occasionally stop it.
- Your house keeps a smaller garden, which some future buyers will welcome and others won’t.
Your questions, answered for Bradford
How much is a garden plot in Bradford 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.
What if my Bradford 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 City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council’s tree officer may comment on any application. We check for protected trees during the appraisal.
Can I sell the plot and keep living in my Bradford house?
Yes, that’s the whole point of a plot sale. You keep the house and the rest of the garden, and the boundary is drawn where you agree. The transfer can include rights and covenants that protect your home, such as who builds the new fence and limits on windows facing your property.
Can I sell part of my garden in Bradford without planning permission?
Yes. We buy suitable plots with or without planning, subject to survey, title and contract. Without permission, we take on the risk that City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council refuses an application, and our offer allows for that. If you’d rather sell only once permission is granted, a sale subject to planning is the alternative.
Other options in Bradford
- Corner and side plots
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Build a new home in your garden
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Sell subject to planning

