Architecture and Masterplanning in Ely
Before land in Ely can go for planning, someone has to show how many homes fit and how they will look. We start with a capacity study, then develop a masterplan that respects neighbours, trees, levels and drainage. The design is tested for cost and buildability at every stage, so what gets approved is something that can actually be built.
Ely · CB7Free site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
- Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
- Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
- Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
Our work around Ely
In Cambridgeshire, Ely lies about 25 miles south-east of Peterborough; its central postcode district is CB7. Newmarket is the closest neighbouring place we cover, at about 12 miles, followed by March and Cambridge. Ely is part of England’s East of England region.
Projects we can take on around Ely include schemes that need redesigning to work, plots where access or drainage is the sticking point and land with an expired or ageing consent. In England, where Ely sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority).
If you have a site near Ely that is stuck, a short call is the best place to start.
What you get in Ely
Design codes followed
Where a council has adopted a design code or design guide, we design to it and explain in the design statement how the scheme responds.
Buildability checked
We test every scheme for construction cost and practicality, so the consent we seek is for homes that can actually be built and then sold or let.
Funded on promotion
Where we promote your land, the design work is part of the planning work we fund, recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning.
Clear plans for landowners
We explain drawings in plain terms, so you can see how your land would be used, where the access runs and what land might be left over.
The English system, as it applies in Ely
In England, most planning applications for new homes in Ely are decided by the local planning authority, usually the council, using its Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework. Many landowners sell without planning, either outright or through an option or promotion agreement that funds the application first. Land to Homes offers a free site appraisal, pays your reasonable legal fees on option and promotion agreements, and can buy suitable sites directly, subject to survey, title and contract.
In England, the National Planning Policy Framework places strong weight on well-designed places, and the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code shape what councils expect. Many councils have adopted local design codes. Most applications must also deliver biodiversity net gain, which affects how much of a site is set aside for habitat.
| National planning policy | National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance |
|---|---|
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority) |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
| Developer contributions | Section 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it |
Architecture and Masterplanning in Ely: questions
How many homes could my land take?
It depends on the size and shape of the site, the access, the character of the area, the open space and drainage the scheme needs, and local planning policy on density. Sites of the same size can have very different capacities. A capacity study is the reliable way to answer the question, and our free site appraisal gives an indicative figure.
How do you make new homes fit in with existing streets?
We study the scale, materials, building lines and spaces of the surrounding area and design homes and streets that respond to them. On a village edge that might mean lower density and more landscaping; in a town, homes that follow the existing street pattern. Early talks with planning officers and neighbours help shape the design.
Can a layout keep part of my land free from development?
Yes. A layout can be drawn to leave a paddock, a garden or a buffer next to your own home outside the development, and the boundary can be fixed in any agreement. We will explain how that choice affects the number of homes, the access and the value of the land being sold.
Do new housing schemes need sustainable drainage?
In most cases, yes. National and local policy usually expects new developments to manage rainwater sustainably, for example with swales, ponds and permeable paving. In Wales, most new developments need separate approval from the local SuDS approving body. We design drainage into the layout from the start, because it can take up a real share of the site.
Do you take on planning and building work in Ely?
Yes, on sites we buy, option, promote or develop in partnership in Ely and elsewhere in Cambridgeshire, including Cambridge, St Neots and Wisbech. We do not take on planning or building work for third parties as a consultancy.
Read more: Architecture and Masterplanning · Guide: Planning permission explained for landowners