- Planning authority
- City of Doncaster Council
- Postcodes
- DN1, DN2, DN3, DN4
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 36°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.8 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- South Yorkshire
How it plays out in Doncaster
Some of the strongest conditional sales involve more than one garden. If your plot in Doncaster is a little narrow, a neighbour’s garden beside it may make a better scheme possible, and the same is true in places nearby such as Adwick le Street, Conisbrough and Mexborough. City of Doncaster Council would then judge one application for the combined site. Each owner can sign a separate conditional contract, linked so that none completes unless the scheme for the whole site is approved.
That needs careful drafting and patience, and it isn’t right for every street. When it does fit, it can turn two awkward plots into one good one.
The next steps, locally
From first enquiry to exchange of contracts usually takes a few months, set mainly by the solicitors and any title questions. The planning stage then runs on its own timetable, depending on surveys and on City of Doncaster Council. We keep you updated throughout, share the drawings before submission and tell you as soon as a decision is issued.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- Capital Gains Tax timing on a conditional sale can differ from an ordinary sale; take advice from a tax adviser.
- You wait for a planning decision, and possibly an appeal, before you are paid.
- The definition of satisfactory permission and the long-stop date decide how certain the sale really is; read both closely.
Your questions, answered for Doncaster
Will my neighbours in Doncaster be told about the application?
Yes. City of Doncaster 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.
Do I keep my garden in Doncaster 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.
Is a sale subject to planning in Doncaster 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.
What if I want to sell my Doncaster 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.
Other options in Doncaster
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Corner and side plots
- Build a new home in your garden
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Large rear gardens