- Planning authority
- London Borough of Bexley
- Postcodes
- DA5, DA6, DA7, DA8, DA15
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater London
Before you decide in Bexley
Garage blocks behind homes vary from a few lock-ups off a short drive to long courts serving whole streets, and a site in DA5, DA6, DA7 and DA8 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 Bexley, in places like Dartford, Greenwich and Barking and Dagenham, 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 Bexley
Tell us where the garages or yard are in Bexley and how the land is used now. From there we review the London Borough of Bexley’s policies, past applications close by and the title, looking for rights of way, covenants and charges. If nothing stands in the way, we’ll arrange to meet you on site and walk the lane and the court together.
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.
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.
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.
Worth checking early
- 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.
- Rights of way over the court or lane can limit what you can build, and some arise from long use rather than the title.
Your questions, answered for Bexley
Who has the final say on a Bexley garage court scheme?
The London Borough of Bexley, as the local planning authority. Officers weigh the scheme against the council’s Local Plan and national policy, plus highways and design guidance, after hearing from neighbours and the highway authority. We put the application together and answer the officer’s questions, yet the verdict is never ours to give.
Can neighbours in Bexley 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.
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Bexley?
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 Bexley 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.
Other options in Bexley
- Plot feasibility and design
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Bungalows on large plots
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Build a home for family in your garden