- Planning authority
- North Yorkshire Council
- Postcodes
- HG5
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 36°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.9 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- North Yorkshire
Before you decide in Knaresborough
Parking is a common worry on garage court schemes, in Knaresborough as elsewhere. If people living in HG5 use the garages, the council may ask where those cars will go once the site is built on. Showing how many garages actually hold cars, rather than storage, can make a real difference.
The new homes need parking of their own, along with turning space, bin storage and room for fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). North Yorkshire Council will look at all of it, so we plan the lane and parking before the homes themselves.
How we’d take it forward in Knaresborough
A garage enquiry from Knaresborough can open with a phone call and a handful of photos showing the court, the lane and the roofs. We then run a desktop check and visit if the site deserves it. Sellers move on to heads of terms, handled by their solicitor; owners who want to build move on to surveys, design and a written quote.
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.
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
- Asbestos, contamination and bat surveys add cost and time before demolition can start.
- If garage income stops before a sale or build completes, you lose that income in the meantime.
- Rights of way over the court or lane can limit what you can build, and some arise from long use rather than the title.
Questions about garden plots in Knaresborough
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Knaresborough?
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.
Can I build houses on my garage block in Knaresborough?
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 North Yorkshire Council’s decision. A free appraisal shows whether the site merits going further.
Is the lane to my Knaresborough 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.
Will you buy my garages in Knaresborough 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.
Other options in Knaresborough
- Sell part of your garden
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Large rear gardens