- Planning authority
- Mole Valley District Council
- Postcodes
- RH4
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Surrey
How it plays out in Dorking
Homes on a garage court in Dorking usually sit close to neighbouring gardens on several sides. In December the sun at midday gets no higher than about 15°, so a tall building near a boundary can leave those gardens in shade for much of the winter.
Low, carefully placed homes avoid most of that. Mews-style homes with windows facing along the court, or bungalows set back from the boundaries, often answer the overlooking and light questions Mole Valley District Council is likely to raise. We test each option against your site before anything is drawn in detail.
From first call to decision
Tell us where the garages or yard are in Dorking and how the land is used now. From there we review Mole Valley District 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
- A narrow or unadopted lane can restrict the number of homes, or require sprinklers, a turning space or bin collection point.
- Rights of way over the court or lane can limit what you can build, and some arise from long use rather than the title.
- If garage income stops before a sale or build completes, you lose that income in the meantime.
Your questions, answered for Dorking
Can neighbours in Dorking 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 I build houses on my garage block in Dorking?
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 Mole Valley District Council’s decision. A free appraisal shows whether the site merits going further.
Who has the final say on a Dorking garage court scheme?
Mole Valley 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.
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Dorking?
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 Dorking
- Bungalows on large plots
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Sell subject to planning
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Joint venture on your garden plot
- Plot feasibility and design