- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 3
- City
- Bath
Getting it right in Somerset
The strength of a conditional contract depends on the planning case behind it, and that case is made locally. Councils in Somerset 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 Somerset include Bath and North East Somerset Council, North Somerset Council, Somerset 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 Somerset
- Bath
- Weston-super-Mare
- Taunton
- Yeovil
- Bridgwater
- Portishead
- Frome
- Burnham-on-Sea
- Clevedon
- Nailsea
- Keynsham
- Wells
Questions about subject to planning in Somerset
How is the price set on a conditional sale in Somerset?
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.
What surveys might a garden plot in Somerset 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.
Do you buy garden plots subject to planning in Somerset?
Yes. Where a plot in Somerset has a realistic chance of permission, we can agree a conditional contract: price fixed now, completion only once a satisfactory permission is granted. We normally fund the application. If it is refused and the contract ends, you keep your land.
Which national rules apply to a new home in Somerset?
Garden schemes here sit under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with the local detail coming from the council’s Local Plan. New homes must also meet the Building Regulations. That affects things such as fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On drainage you’ll usually need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and land purchases fall under Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). We check which rules apply to your plot as part of the free appraisal.