- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 14
- City
- Chelmsford
Getting it right in Essex
The strength of a conditional contract depends on the planning case behind it, and that case is made locally. Councils in Essex each set their own expectations for homes in gardens, from parking and plot depth to how far a new home should sit from existing back windows. Many also publish their own design guidance, which shapes the drawings as much as the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) does. We read those documents first, then design a scheme that answers them, so the application has the best chance the plot allows. The council still makes the decision.
Planning authorities covering Essex include Basildon Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Brentwood Borough Council, Castle Point Borough Council, Chelmsford City Council, Colchester City Council, Epping Forest District Council, Harlow District Council, Maldon District Council, Rochford District Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council, Tendring District Council, Thurrock Council, Uttlesford District 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 Essex
- Southend-on-Sea
- Basildon
- Colchester
- Chelmsford
- Harlow
- Grays
- Braintree
- Brentwood
- Clacton-on-Sea
- Benfleet
- Canvey Island
- Billericay
- Loughton
- Rayleigh
- Stanford-le-Hope
- Wickford
- Witham
- Maldon
- Waltham Abbey
- South Ockendon
- Harwich
- Hadleigh
- Walton-on-the-Naze
- Frinton-on-Sea
- Rochford
- Saffron Walden
Questions about subject to planning in Essex
How is the price set on a conditional sale in Essex?
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.
Is a sale subject to planning legally binding in Essex?
Yes, once contracts are exchanged. Both sides are committed to complete if a satisfactory permission is granted by the long-stop date. Before exchange, heads of terms aren’t binding, and either side can walk away. Your own solicitor should review the contract before you sign.
Which councils decide applications for garden plots in Essex?
Each address falls under one local planning authority, and in Essex the authorities include Basildon Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Brentwood Borough Council, Castle Point Borough Council, Chelmsford City Council and other councils. 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.
Which council decides planning for a garden plot in Essex?
The council for your address decides. The planning authorities covering Essex include Basildon Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Brentwood Borough Council, Castle Point Borough Council, Chelmsford City Council and other councils. 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.