- Planning authority
- North Yorkshire Council
- Postcodes
- BD23
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 36°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.9 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- North Yorkshire
What shapes a plot in Skipton
Garage courts are usually hemmed in by back gardens, so light becomes a real test. Take 21 March: at noon, Skipton gets sun from about 36° up, which means a wall with 5 m eaves shades a strip of ground about 6.9 m deep behind it. Midwinter is harsher still, with the sun peaking at around 13°.
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.
From first call to decision
Tell us where the garages or yard are in Skipton and how the land is used now. From there we review North Yorkshire 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.
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.
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
- If garage income stops before a sale or build completes, you lose that income in the meantime.
- 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.
Your questions, answered for Skipton
Can I build houses on my garage block in Skipton?
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.
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Skipton?
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.
Who has the final say on a Skipton garage court scheme?
North Yorkshire 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.
Is the lane to my Skipton 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 Skipton
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Corner and side plots
- Sell subject to planning
- Garden plot option agreement
- Build a new home in your garden