- Planning authority
- New Forest District Council
- Postcodes
- SO40
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hampshire
The local picture in Totton
Garage courts are usually hemmed in by back gardens, so light becomes a real test. Take 21 March: at noon, Totton gets sun from about 39° up, which means a wall with 5 m eaves shades a strip of ground about 6.2 m deep behind it. Midwinter is harsher still, with the sun peaking at around 16°.
That explains why low homes, often single-storey or with rooms tucked into the roof, suit so many courts. We plot the shadows for your actual site and shape the buildings so surrounding gardens hold on to their light.
The next steps, locally
Tell us where the garages or yard are in Totton and how the land is used now. From there we review New Forest District Council’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.
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.
- Ending garage tenancies or licences takes time, and some tenants may have legal protection; get legal advice before serving notice.
- A narrow or unadopted lane can restrict the number of homes, or require sprinklers, a turning space or bin collection point.
Your questions, answered for Totton
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Totton?
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 Totton 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.
Who has the final say on a Totton garage court scheme?
New Forest District Council, 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.
What does it cost to have my Totton 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.
Other options in Totton
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Sell subject to planning
- Combine gardens with your neighbours