- Planning authority
- BCP Council
- Postcodes
- BH23
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.1 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Dorset
What the council will look at in Christchurch
Garage blocks behind homes vary from a few lock-ups off a short drive to long courts serving whole streets, and a site in BH23 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 Christchurch, in places like Bournemouth, New Milton and Ferndown, 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.
From first call to decision
A garage enquiry from Christchurch can open with a phone call and a handful of photos showing the court, the lane and the roofs. We then run a desktop check and visit if the site deserves it. Sellers move on to heads of terms, handled by their solicitor; owners who want to build move on to surveys, design and a written quote.
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
- Rights of way over the court or lane can limit what you can build, and some arise from long use rather than the title.
- Neighbours whose gardens back onto the court are consulted and may object; the council decides.
- A narrow or unadopted lane can restrict the number of homes, or require sprinklers, a turning space or bin collection point.
Questions about garden plots in Christchurch
Will you buy my garages in Christchurch with tenants in them?
Possibly. Any purchase is subject to survey, title and contract, with or without planning in place. Existing tenancies and licences must be brought to an end properly under their own terms, and when that happens forms part of the agreed deal. Get legal advice before any notice is served.
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Christchurch?
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.
Is the lane to my Christchurch 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.
Can neighbours in Christchurch 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 Christchurch
- Large rear gardens
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Garden plot option agreement
- Tandem and landlocked plots