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For landowners · Cumbria

Sell Garden Land and Backland in Kendal

Can I sell part of my garden for development in Kendal?

Garden land and backland in Kendal means plots taken from large gardens or land sitting behind existing houses, often with no road frontage of its own. It can take one home or a small group, but only if there is safe access and the new homes would not harm neighbours' privacy or the character of the street. We assess both first.

Development surveyor walking a field boundary hedge with a tabletKendal · LA9

Free 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

Selling land around Kendal

In Cumbria, Kendal lies about 40 miles south of Carlisle; its central postcode district is LA9. If your land sits between towns, Morecambe, Lancaster and Penrith are the closest neighbouring places on our list. Kendal is in the North West region of England.

Sites worth a conversation around Kendal: land behind street frontages, corner plots and side gardens and brownfield land in and around Kendal. In England, where Kendal sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority).

A postcode and a rough boundary are enough for us to start a free appraisal of land near Kendal.

Our approach in Kendal

Mortgage lender consent

If your house is mortgaged, the lender's charge usually covers the whole garden. You will normally need the lender to release the part being sold, which your solicitor arranges as part of the sale.

Trees and ecology checked

Mature gardens can hold protected trees, bats in outbuildings or nesting birds. We check tree preservation orders and conservation area status, and plan any surveys for the right season.

Option and promotion routes

If the plot needs planning first, an option or promotion agreement lets us fund the application. On both, we pay your reasonable legal fees, with the amount agreed up front in the heads of terms.

Neighbour impact assessed

Councils look at overlooking, loss of light, noise from a new drive and whether the plot is in keeping with the area. We assess these early, because they are common reasons for refusal.

The English system, as it applies in Kendal

Selling development land in Kendal usually starts with heads of terms, a short written summary of price, conditions and fees, before solicitors draft the contract. In England the sale becomes binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, with the title then registered at HM Land Registry. The buyer normally pays Stamp Duty Land Tax. On option and promotion agreements with Land to Homes, your reasonable legal fees are covered, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms.

In England, the NPPF excludes private residential gardens in built-up areas from its definition of previously developed land, and many Local Plans have specific garden development policies. Recent changes exempt many very small sites from biodiversity net gain, subject to conditions. Restrictive covenants can be modified or discharged by the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).

Key rules in Kendal
Who decides applicationsThe local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority)
Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer)Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)
Land registrationHM Land Registry
Developer contributionsSection 106 planning obligations, plus the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) where the council charges it

Questions about Sell Garden Land and Backland in Kendal

How wide does an access drive need to be for a new house?

There is no single figure for the whole UK. The local highway authority's design guidance sets widths for private drives, passing places and visibility at the junction, and building regulations cover access for fire service vehicles. We check the standards your council applies before estimating what a plot could take.

Do I pay Capital Gains Tax when I sell garden land?

Possibly. Private Residence Relief can cover part of a garden in some circumstances, but the size of the garden and the order and timing of sales can affect it. Selling the garden after you have sold the house, for example, may change the position. Speak to an accountant before agreeing terms.

What if my title has a covenant against building?

A restrictive covenant can prevent or limit new homes even when planning permission is granted. Options include negotiating a release with whoever benefits from it, indemnity insurance where enforcement looks unlikely, or applying to the relevant tribunal to modify or discharge it. Take legal advice early, because it affects any buyer.

Should I team up with my neighbours to sell garden land?

Often it helps. Several gardens together can support a better-planned scheme with one shared access, which councils tend to prefer to separate plots. A collaboration agreement sets out how proceeds are shared, usually by area, so no one loses out because of where the access road happens to go.

Do you work with landowners in Kendal?

We do. We work with landowners in Kendal and elsewhere in Cumbria, including Carlisle, Workington and Penrith. Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.

Read more: Sell Garden Land and Backland · Guide: Overage and clawback: how they work when you sell land

Sell Garden Land and Backland elsewhere in Cumbria

Own land that could take new homes?

Start with a free, no-obligation site appraisal. On option and promotion agreements we fund the planning work and pay your reasonable legal fees.

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