- Planning authority
- Woking Borough Council
- Postcodes
- GU21, GU22, KT14
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 39°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.2 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Surrey
Woking: light, access and policy
Homes on a garage court in Woking 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 Woking Borough Council is likely to raise. We test each option against your site before anything is drawn in detail.
How we’d take it forward in Woking
A garage enquiry from Woking can open with a phone call and a handful of photos showing the court, the lane and the roofs. We then run a desktop check and visit if the site deserves it. Sellers move on to heads of terms, handled by their solicitor; owners who want to build move on to surveys, design and a written quote.
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
- A narrow or unadopted lane can restrict the number of homes, or require sprinklers, a turning space or bin collection point.
- If garage income stops before a sale or build completes, you lose that income in the meantime.
- Neighbours whose gardens back onto the court are consulted and may object; the council decides.
Questions about garden plots in Woking
Will you buy my garages in Woking 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.
Do I need an asbestos survey for garages in Woking?
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 Woking?
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 Woking Borough Council’s decision. A free appraisal shows whether the site merits going further.
What does it cost to have my Woking 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.
Other options in Woking
- Combine gardens with your neighbours
- Bungalows on large plots
- Sell part of your garden
- Build a home for family in your garden
- Corner and side plots
- Sell subject to planning