- Planning authority
- Basildon Borough Council
- Postcodes
- CM11, CM12
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Essex
How it plays out in Billericay
Garden plots vary enormously, from long, straight gardens to wide corner plots, so for a garden in CM11 and CM12 the first visit is about measuring rather than guessing. We record the plot’s depth and width, the route from the road, levels, trees and the neighbouring windows that face it.
Those measurements decide how the conditional contract is drafted. They feed the price formula, set what counts as a satisfactory permission and show how much time the long-stop date needs. They also give Basildon Borough Council a scheme grounded in the real site rather than an outline on a map.
The next steps, locally
After you get in touch about a garden in Billericay, 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.
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.
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 Billericay
Is a sale subject to planning in Billericay better than an option?
It depends on the plot. A conditional sale binds both sides from exchange and suits a single plot with a clear scheme. An option gives us a right to buy rather than an obligation, and suits plots where the outcome is less certain or the timescale is longer. We’ll recommend one after the appraisal.
Will my neighbours in Billericay be told about the application?
Yes. Basildon Borough 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.
How long might a sale subject to planning take in Billericay?
It usually runs for months, sometimes longer. Exchange often takes a few months; surveys and drawings take a few more; and the Planning Portal says most applications are decided within eight weeks of being valid, though garden schemes can take longer. The long-stop date sets the outer limit, agreed with you at the start.
Do I keep my garden in Billericay if planning is refused?
Yes. Nothing is transferred until a satisfactory permission is granted, so a refusal leaves the land in your ownership. Depending on the contract, we may revise the scheme and reapply, or appeal, before the long-stop date. If that doesn’t succeed, the contract ends and our notice comes off your title.
Other options in Billericay
- Plot feasibility and design
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Build a new home in your garden
- Sell part of your garden
- Large rear gardens
- Build a home for family in your garden