Garage courts and yards for new homes in Greater London

An old yard or a row of tired garages behind houses in Greater London can be easier to build on than a lawn. There is already a way in, the land has been built on before, and in England current national policy gives substantial weight to re-using lock-ups that are no longer needed.

Easier isn’t automatic. The council will still look closely at the lane, neighbours’ privacy and where displaced cars will go. We check those points for free, then explain both routes: selling the site, or keeping it and having homes designed and built for you.

Row of old lock-up garages in a tarmac court behind a terrace of brick houses
Nation
England
National planning policy
NPPF
Planning authorities
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City
London

Before you start in Greater London

Rights over garage courts in Greater London can be complicated. Tenants may hold licences or leases with notice terms, individual garages may have been sold off, and neighbours may have rights of way to back gates, some arising from long use rather than written on the title. The owner of the lane may not be the owner of the garages. We map all of this before drawing a layout, so the scheme works around existing rights.

Planning authorities covering Greater London include City of London Corporation, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, London Borough of Barnet, London Borough of Bexley, London Borough of Brent, London Borough of Bromley, London Borough of Camden, London Borough of Croydon, London Borough of Ealing, London Borough of Enfield, London Borough of Hackney, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London Borough of Haringey, London Borough of Harrow, London Borough of Havering, London Borough of Hillingdon, London Borough of Hounslow, London Borough of Islington, London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Lewisham, London Borough of Merton, London Borough of Newham, London Borough of Redbridge, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London Borough of Southwark, London Borough of Sutton, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London Borough of Waltham Forest, London Borough of Wandsworth, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Westminster City Council.

How it works

  1. 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.

  2. Rights and title review

    We map who has rights over the court and lane, which garages are let and on what terms, and whether any covenants, charges or strips of land you don’t own could block a scheme.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

Garage courts and yards in towns across Greater London

Questions about garage courts and yards in Greater London

Is garage land treated as brownfield in Greater London?

It can be, but it depends on the site. Land lawfully occupied by permanent structures can count as previously developed land, while gardens in built-up areas are treated differently in England. The council makes the judgement, so we check the site’s history and use first.

Which councils decide garage site applications in Greater London?

Whichever planning authority covers the site makes the decision; for Greater London those include City of London Corporation, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, London Borough of Barnet, London Borough of Bexley, London Borough of Brent and other councils. Plans, parking standards and design guidance vary between them, so we confirm which policies govern your particular site before any layout is drawn.

Do you look at garage courts and yards in Greater London?

We do. Garage courts and yards anywhere in Greater London are covered, as is the rest of England and Wales. Share the site address, some photos and how the garages are used today, and a free desktop review follows before we suggest meeting on site.

Do you buy garden plots in Greater London?

Yes. We buy suitable garden plots across Greater London directly, with or without planning permission, always subject to survey, title and contract. We also offer sales subject to planning, options, planning promotion and joint ventures. Which route fits depends on your plot, so the starting point is a free, no-obligation appraisal.

Other options in Greater London

Everything we cover in Greater London

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.