New homes on garage courts and yards in Leatherhead

If you own a block of lock-ups, an old yard or a large garage behind houses in Leatherhead, 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
Mole Valley District Council
Postcodes
KT18, KT21, KT22, KT23
Noon sun, 21 March
About 39°
Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
About 6.2 m
Planning plan
Local Plan
County
Surrey

Before you decide in Leatherhead

Garage courts near you, whether in Leatherhead or in Epsom, Cobham and Dorking, may already have been turned into homes. Where that has happened, it hints at what the council will accept, but no earlier decision binds it and each scheme is weighed afresh against current policy.

The local rules sit in the council’s Local Plan, together with whatever design or parking guidance Mole Valley District Council has adopted. We check those and the history of nearby courts, so your scheme begins from a realistic footing.

Section showing noon sun and shadows in Leatherhead: about 39 degrees on 21 March and 15 degrees on 21 December21 m21 Mar, noon: sun 39°, shadow 6.2 m21 Dec, noon: sun 15°, shadow 18.3 mExistingNew home
This section is worked out for the latitude of Leatherhead: around 39° of sun at midday in late March and about 15° at midwinter. It shows why the gap between your house and a new home behind it is about light as well as privacy. Garden assumed to face north.

How we’d take it forward in Leatherhead

Here’s what happens after you contact us about a garage site in Leatherhead. We look at the title plan, maps and the planning history, then call you to talk through who uses the garages and the lane. If the site looks viable we visit, check access, buildings and neighbours, and send a plain summary of the options, with no obligation.

  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. 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.

  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

  • Asbestos, contamination and bat surveys add cost and time before demolition can start.
  • 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.

Leatherhead: questions to ask

Can neighbours in Leatherhead 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.

Is the lane to my Leatherhead 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.

What does it cost to have my Leatherhead 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.

Can I build houses on my garage block in Leatherhead?

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.

Other options in Leatherhead

Garage courts and yards near Leatherhead

Find out what your garden could become

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