- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 4
- City
- Durham
Before you start in County Durham
Surveys can set the timetable for a conditional sale more than the council does. A garden plot in County Durham may need a tree survey, a preliminary ecology check, sometimes bat or reptile surveys, and a drainage strategy, because the new home will require a drainage plan the council will want to see. Some ecology work can only be done at certain times of year, which is why the long-stop date should allow for it. We plan the surveys at the outset, fund them as part of the application, and share the results with you.
Planning authorities covering County Durham include Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Hartlepool Borough Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We check your title, access, planning history and local policy from our desk, then talk it through with you. If a new home looks realistic, we visit the garden and tell you which route we think suits it best.
Heads of terms
We set out the price or price formula, what counts as satisfactory permission, the long-stop date, how any planning costs are treated and who pays which fees. You see all of it before instructing a solicitor.
Exchange of conditional contracts
Both solicitors agree the contract and the plan of the plot. On exchange, both sides are bound, subject to the planning condition, and our contract is noted on your title so the plot can’t be sold elsewhere.
Planning application
We commission the surveys, prepare the drawings, seek pre-application advice where useful and submit the application, normally at our cost. You see the plans before they go in, and the council makes the decision.
Completion, or you keep your land
Once a satisfactory permission is granted and any challenge period has passed, the sale completes within the agreed time and the plot gets its own title. If permission is refused and the contract ends, the land stays yours.
Subject to planning in towns across County Durham
- Darlington
- Hartlepool
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Durham
- Chester-le-Street
- Billingham
- Stanley
- Consett
- Newton Aycliffe
- Bishop Auckland
- Seaham
- Peterlee
- Spennymoor
Questions about subject to planning in County Durham
Which councils decide applications for garden plots in County Durham?
Each address falls under one local planning authority, and in County Durham the authorities include Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Hartlepool Borough Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. Every one of them works to its own Local Plan alongside the NPPF, and some add guidance specifically on garden development, so we shape each scheme around the policies of the council that will judge it.
What surveys might a garden plot in County Durham need for planning?
Commonly a measured survey, a tree survey and a preliminary ecology check, plus drainage and sometimes flood risk work. Some ecology surveys can only be done at certain times of year, which affects the timetable. On a sale subject to planning, we normally commission and fund these as part of the application.
How is the price set on a conditional sale in County Durham?
Either as a fixed figure or as a formula linked to the permission granted, for example the number or size of homes allowed. Many formulas include a minimum price. Any cost recovery is written into heads of terms before you sign, so you see the full calculation from the outset.
Which council decides planning for a garden plot in County Durham?
The council for your address decides. The planning authorities covering County Durham include Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Hartlepool Borough Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough 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.