- Planning authority
- Torbay Council
- Postcodes
- TQ1, TQ2
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 40°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Devon
Before you decide in Torquay
Garage blocks behind homes vary from a few lock-ups off a short drive to long courts serving whole streets, and a site in TQ1 and TQ2 could be either. The size of the site, the width of the lane and how many neighbours back onto it decide what could fit, not the number of garages.
Owners just outside Torquay, in places like Paignton, Brixham and Teignmouth, face the same questions. We look at the lane, the rights over it and the distance to neighbouring windows first, then sketch options from a single home to a small group.
How we’d take it forward in Torquay
Here’s what happens after you contact us about a garage site in Torquay. We look at the title plan, maps and the planning history, then call you to talk through who uses the garages and the lane. If the site looks viable we visit, check access, buildings and neighbours, and send a plain summary of the options, with no obligation.
Free site appraisal
We look at the site on maps, the title plan and the planning history, then talk through who uses it now. If it looks workable we visit. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Site checks and layout
We look at the access lane, the buildings, likely asbestos and contamination, drains and neighbours’ windows, then sketch what could realistically fit, from one home to a small group, or nothing at all.
Choose your route
Sell the site outright or subject to planning, grant an option, or keep it and have us design, get planning for and build. Garage tenancies and licences are ended properly before any work starts.
Planning, then sale or build
We prepare and submit the application and the council decides. If you sell, your solicitor handles the transfer. If you build, a written quote follows design and survey, then demolition and construction.
Worth checking early
- Neighbours whose gardens back onto the court are consulted and may object; the council decides.
- If garage income stops before a sale or build completes, you lose that income in the meantime.
- Asbestos, contamination and bat surveys add cost and time before demolition can start.
Questions about garden plots in Torquay
Is the lane to my Torquay garages wide enough?
It depends on the lane, the number of homes and local highway standards. The council will look at width, visibility at the street and the effect on neighbours. Fire and bin access matter too. A narrow lane may limit the number of homes rather than ruling the site out.
What does it cost to have my Torquay garage site assessed?
Nothing. Our assessment is free, with no obligation. We review the title, maps and planning history and speak to you before deciding whether a visit is worthwhile. You’re only committed after choosing a route and agreeing terms set out in writing.
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Torquay?
Yes, before demolition. Health and Safety Executive guidance says a refurbishment and demolition survey must find asbestos before structural work begins. Older garage roofs are often asbestos cement sheeting. Specialists carry out the survey and removal, and we build both into the plan.
Can neighbours in Torquay block a garage court scheme?
Neighbours are consulted and can object, and those with a legal right of way over the court have rights the scheme must respect. Objections alone don’t decide the outcome. We map every right first and design to keep routes open where they are needed.
Other options in Torquay
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Garden plot option agreement
- Corner and side plots