A new house in England will usually need planning permission. Owning the land, having a large garden or finding another house nearby does not establish permission to build. Start with the site's planning position before commissioning a complete house design.
The government's planning permission overview identifies building something new as a usual trigger for permission.
Can you build a new home under permitted development?
Do not apply ordinary house extension or garden room allowances to a separate new dwelling. There are specific permitted development routes involving certain existing buildings, but they have their own eligibility tests and procedures. Read the government's permission guidance before assuming a specialist route applies.
Our permitted development overview covers common home projects. If you are converting an existing building rather than constructing a house, start with the change of use guide.
Should you apply for outline or full permission?
Outline permission can establish the general principles of development while leaving specified details for later approval. Reserved matters can include access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale. Full permission considers a detailed proposal. An outline approval with matters outstanding is not a complete approval of the final house design.
The government's application guidance explains these routes and the information required. Discuss which route answers your immediate question: whether a home is acceptable in principle, or whether a particular design can be approved.
What information should you gather first?
Find your planning authority and collect its local plan, site policies and relevant application history. For a garden plot, sketch the proposed boundary and show how both the existing and new homes would be accessed.
Prepare a short brief covering the number of homes, approximate size, existing buildings to retain or remove, vehicle access and known site constraints. Include previous refusals as well as approvals. A clear record of what was rejected can be more useful than a nearby approval for a very different site.
For a replacement house, record the existing building and any permission affecting it before discussing demolition. Keep a list of questions for the council's pre-application service rather than treating informal feedback as a decision.
How do you start an assessment?
Start with the property address and explain that the proposal is a new home. New builds require a project-specific scope and fee; the standard homeowner planning package should not be assumed to cover them. Agree the design work, supporting reports and application costs before proceeding.