- Planning authority
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
- Postcodes
- TN1, TN2, TN4
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Kent
What the council will look at in Tunbridge Wells
Garage blocks behind homes vary from a few lock-ups off a short drive to long courts serving whole streets, and a site in TN1, TN2 and TN4 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 Tunbridge Wells, in places like Tonbridge, Crowborough and Sevenoaks, 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
Tell us where the garages or yard are in Tunbridge Wells and how the land is used now. From there we review Tunbridge Wells Borough 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
- Ending garage tenancies or licences takes time, and some tenants may have legal protection; get legal advice before serving notice.
- Asbestos, contamination and bat surveys add cost and time before demolition can start.
- Neighbours whose gardens back onto the court are consulted and may object; the council decides.
Tunbridge Wells: questions to ask
Can I build houses on my garage block in Tunbridge Wells?
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 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s decision. A free appraisal shows whether the site merits going further.
Will you buy my garages in Tunbridge Wells 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.
Can neighbours in Tunbridge Wells 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.
Is the lane to my Tunbridge Wells 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 Tunbridge Wells
- Build a new home in your garden
- Corner and side plots
- Sell part of your garden
- Plot feasibility and design
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Combine gardens with your neighbours