- Planning authority
- Tandridge District Council
- Postcodes
- CR3
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Surrey
What the council will look at in Caterham
Garage blocks behind homes vary from a few lock-ups off a short drive to long courts serving whole streets, and a site in CR3 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 Caterham, in places like Redhill, Banstead and Reigate, 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
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. Tandridge District Council then consults neighbours on the application and makes the decision.
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.
- 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.
Questions about garden plots in Caterham
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Caterham?
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 Caterham?
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 Tandridge District Council’s decision. A free appraisal shows whether the site merits going further.
Who has the final say on a Caterham garage court scheme?
Tandridge District 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.
Will you buy my garages in Caterham 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 Caterham
- Planning promotion for your garden plot
- Large rear gardens
- Sell part of your garden
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Plot feasibility and design
- Corner and side plots