CLOSER LOOK ASSESSING A GARDEN PLOT

This site, which I first visited in summer 2019, is the second garden of a barn conversion on the edge of a Dorset village. The owner was keen to find out whether his land might offer the potential to downsize to a twobedroom new build home in the curtilage of his existing property.

At 30m2, it’s a compact plot - but readily big enough to accommodate a small house. Approached via a quiet lane, it sits directly opposite the main barn and around 400m from the village centre – so access is good. The site is perfectly level, taking the form of a central lawn surrounded by trees and shrubs. There are some neighbouring detached properties either side of the site, but they’re set back and well screened by mature trees and hedging. So there are no privacy issues on this plot. What’s more, a small house would appear to fit well with the mixed architectural character of the area.

The owner’s research had already identified that the plot sits 50m outside of the settlement boundary, as identified in the council’s Local Plan (LP). In this situation, countryside planning policies normally apply, which would prevent the construction of a new dwelling. Here, the LP is currently under review: so there’s a chance it could be circumvented. The boundary might be moved under a new LP (you can check for drafts on the council’s website); or the local authority might have reviewed its five-year land supply and identified a need to increase delivery. If there’s not a suitable supply, planning decisions can come down to whether a plot is sustainably located. Being so close to the village centre, this one most certainly is.

The key issue here is planning principle, but if this can be established, it’s a promising site. With this kind of opportunity, the ideal route forward is to prep some sketch plans and seek pre-application advice from the council. This will flush out their attitude towards a new house and reveal whether there’s a need for any reports, such as tree or ecological surveys.