Backland Development
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Sell your garden plot subject to planning in Christchurch

Here is the shape of a conditional garden plot sale in Christchurch. Heads of terms come first, setting out the price, the scheme we have in mind and the long-stop date. Solicitors then prepare the contract, and on exchange our interest is noted on your title. We apply to BCP Council, and completion follows a satisfactory permission.

Each stage has its own pace. The whole thing usually runs for months rather than weeks, mostly because of surveys and the council’s decision period. Nothing about it is rushed, and nothing is promised that depends on the council.

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Site plan and house elevation drawings on a kitchen table with the back garden beyond the window
Planning authority
BCP Council
Postcodes
BH23
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.1 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Dorset

How it plays out in Christchurch

Overshadowing is one of the first things a planning officer checks on a garden scheme. In Christchurch, the spring equinox sun reaches only about 39° at midday, which means a 5 m eaves line lays down a shadow around 6.1 m long. Come the shortest day, the sun climbs no higher than roughly 16° and the shade stretches far beyond that.

We model those shadows when we design the scheme, because a home that keeps light off your windows and the neighbours’ gardens is easier for BCP Council to approve. Sometimes that means a lower roof or a home set further back.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Christchurch: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 16 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.1 m21 Dec, noon: sun 16°, shadow 17.6 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Christchurch on 21 March sits about 39° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.1 m. In December the sun is only about 16° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

From first call to decision

After you get in touch about a garden in Christchurch, we run the free appraisal and explain which route we would recommend. If it is a sale subject to planning, we draft heads of terms covering the price, the scheme, the long-stop date and costs. Once your solicitor is happy and contracts are exchanged, we begin the planning work.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

Worth checking early

  • Capital Gains Tax timing on a conditional sale can differ from an ordinary sale; take advice from a tax adviser.
  • Once contracts are exchanged you are committed to sell if a satisfactory permission is granted.
  • The definition of satisfactory permission and the long-stop date decide how certain the sale really is; read both closely.

Questions about garden plots in Christchurch

Will my neighbours in Christchurch be told about the application?

Yes. BCP Council publicises applications through letters to neighbours, a site notice, or both, depending on its practice. Neighbours can comment, and the council weighs their views against planning policy. You can choose whether to speak to adjoining owners before the application goes in, and we’ll fit in with what you prefer.

What if I want to sell my Christchurch house during a conditional sale?

Tell us as early as you can. The conditional contract is noted on your title, so your house buyer’s solicitor will see it. The two sales can usually be arranged together, but the order matters for the legal work and possibly for Capital Gains Tax, so take advice from a tax adviser too.

Do I pay for the planning application on my Christchurch garden plot?

We normally fund the planning application, including surveys and drawings. Any recovery of those costs is agreed in heads of terms before you sign, for example as a deduction from the price at completion. You see the full position before instructing a solicitor, so there are no surprises later.

Who decides the planning application on a conditional sale in Christchurch?

That is BCP Council’s decision as the local planning authority, made under the council’s Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). We prepare the application, submit it and answer the council’s questions, but the outcome isn’t ours to control. That’s why the contract has a long-stop date and says what happens if permission is refused.

Other options in Christchurch

Subject to planning near Christchurch

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