- Planning authority
- Broxbourne Borough Council
- Postcodes
- EN10, EN11
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 38°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.3 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Hertfordshire
Before you decide in Hoddesdon
Garage blocks behind homes vary from a few lock-ups off a short drive to long courts serving whole streets, and a site in EN10 and EN11 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 Hoddesdon, in places like Ware, Hertford and Cheshunt, 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.
The next steps, locally
Here’s what happens after you contact us about a garage site in Hoddesdon. 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.
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.
- 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.
Your questions, answered for Hoddesdon
Can I build houses on my garage block in Hoddesdon?
Possibly, if the lane works for cars, bins and emergency access, neighbours’ privacy and light are protected, and rights over the site can be dealt with. Homes there need planning permission, which is Broxbourne Borough Council’s decision. A free appraisal shows whether the site merits going further.
Who has the final say on a Hoddesdon garage court scheme?
Broxbourne Borough 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.
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Hoddesdon?
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 Hoddesdon 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 Hoddesdon
- Large rear gardens
- Corner and side plots
- Sell part of your garden
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Sell subject to planning