New homes on garage courts and yards in Cottesmore

If you own a block of lock-ups, an old yard or a large garage behind houses in Cottesmore, the land may suit new homes. Whether it does depends on the access lane, who has rights over the site, what the old buildings are made of and how close neighbours’ windows are.

We look at sites like yours free of charge. If it stacks up, you might sell the land, with or without planning, or keep it and have the homes designed, approved and built for you. We’re new, part of the S&K Group, and we’ll be honest if the site isn’t viable.

Row of old lock-up garages in a tarmac court behind a terrace of brick houses
Planning authority
Rutland County Council
Postcodes
LE15
Noon sun, 21 March
About 37°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.6 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Rutland

What shapes a plot in Cottesmore

Parking is a common worry on garage court schemes, in Cottesmore as elsewhere. If people living in LE15 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). Rutland County Council will look at all of it, so we plan the lane and parking before the homes themselves.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Cottesmore: about 37 degrees on 21 March and 14 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 37°, shadow 6.6 m21 Dec, noon: sun 14°, shadow 20.3 mExistingNew home
Noon sun in Cottesmore on 21 March sits about 37° above the horizon, so a typical two-storey eaves line (about 5 m) throws a shadow of roughly 6.6 m. In December the sun is only about 14° up and shadows stretch much further. Drawn for a garden facing north, where it matters most.

How we’d take it forward in Cottesmore

From here the pace is yours. A sale only proceeds once heads of terms are in writing and you’re happy with them; a build only proceeds once surveys, design and a written quote are in front of you. Garage tenancies are brought to an end under their own terms, on legal advice. Rutland County Council then consults neighbours on the application and makes the decision.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

  • Neighbours whose gardens back onto the court are consulted and may object; the council decides.
  • Ending garage tenancies or licences takes time, and some tenants may have legal protection; get legal advice before serving notice.
  • If garage income stops before a sale or build completes, you lose that income in the meantime.

Cottesmore: questions to ask

What does it cost to have my Cottesmore 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.

Will you buy my garages in Cottesmore 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.

Who has the final say on a Cottesmore garage court scheme?

Rutland County 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 Cottesmore?

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.

Other options in Cottesmore

Garage courts and yards near Cottesmore

Find out what your garden could become

Free garden plot appraisal. No cost, no obligation, and a straight answer if it won’t work.