Sell Garden Land and Backland in St Albans
Backland sites in St Albans often stretch across several gardens, so the strongest schemes involve neighbours working together. Land to Homes can buy a single plot directly, subject to survey, title and contract, or bring adjoining owners into one deal with a fair way of sharing proceeds, so a single shared access serves everyone.
St Albans · AL1Free 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 St Albans
We cover St Albans as part of Hertfordshire. It is about 7 miles north of Watford, around postcode district AL1. Harpenden is the closest neighbouring place we cover, at about 5 miles, followed by Hatfield and Hemel Hempstead. Within England, St Albans falls in the East of England region.
Typical sites we review near St Albans include land behind street frontages, farmland next to the settlement boundary and large and long rear gardens. In England, where St Albans sits, planning decisions are made by the local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority).
Tell us where your land is around St Albans and we will explain the routes open to you.
Why work with Land to Homes in St Albans
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.
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.
Covenants and title
Older titles often include restrictive covenants limiting building. Depending on the nation and the facts, a release, indemnity insurance or an application to modify the covenant may be possible.
Planning and land rules in St Albans
Whether a field or large garden could take homes depends mostly on the council's Local Plan and national policy. Under the National Planning Policy Framework, plans define settlement boundaries, and land just outside St Albans may still come forward if it is allocated, previously developed or meets evidenced unmet housing need. Smaller housing schemes can also use Permission in Principle, an England-only route that settles location, use and amount first. Our free appraisal explains which route suits your land.
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).
| Who decides applications | The 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 registration | HM Land Registry |
| How a sale becomes binding | A land sale becomes legally binding on exchange of contracts and finishes on completion, after which the buyer registers the title with HM Land Registry. |
Questions about Sell Garden Land and Backland in St Albans
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.
What is backland development?
Backland development means building homes on land behind an existing row of houses, usually reached by a new access running between them. Many councils have specific policy on it, focused on access, privacy, the character of the area and avoiding piecemeal schemes that would block a better-planned layout later.
Can I sell part of my garden to a developer?
Yes, if the land can support a new home with safe access and acceptable impact on neighbours. The land is split from your title and sold with rights of way and services set out in the transfer. If your house is mortgaged, your lender will need to consent and release the part being sold.
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.
Do you work with landowners in St Albans?
We do. We work with landowners in St Albans and elsewhere in Hertfordshire, including Watford, Hitchin and Bishops Stortford. 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