- Planning authority
- Somerset Council
- Postcodes
- TA8
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Somerset
Burnham-on-Sea: light, access and policy
Garage blocks behind homes vary from a few lock-ups off a short drive to long courts serving whole streets, and a site in TA8 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 Burnham-on-Sea, in places like Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater and Wells, 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
Tell us where the garages or yard are in Burnham-on-Sea and how the land is used now. From there we review Somerset 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.
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.
Worth checking early
- Neighbours whose gardens back onto the court are consulted and may object; the council decides.
- Asbestos, contamination and bat surveys add cost and time before demolition can start.
- 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 Burnham-on-Sea
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Burnham-on-Sea?
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 neighbours in Burnham-on-Sea 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.
Can you build homes on my yard in Burnham-on-Sea if I keep it?
Yes. You keep ownership while we handle the lot: surveys, demolition of the old buildings, design, the planning application, construction and the structural warranty that buyers’ lenders tend to need. A written quote is given once design and survey are complete; guide prices before then are only guides.
Will you buy my garages in Burnham-on-Sea 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 Burnham-on-Sea
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Sell part of your garden
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Large rear gardens
- Sell subject to planning