Plot watch: Urban opportunity

Could this shared garage site provide the ideal spot for the Spalls to create their dream home? Mike Dade examines their options

WHO Ryan and Suzy Spall

WHAT The couple have come across a site that is home to three blocks of garages. Keen to create a new house in a built-up area like this, Mike Dade assesses their best route forward

WHERE Hertfordshire

For some months, Ryan and Suzy Spall have been searching for a plot in a built-up area where they can build a contemporary family home. They like the idea of a low profile house that combines traditional external materials with a modern, flat-roofed design. They recently spotted a garage site that appears to be unused. The plot is well-located, being close to the town centre, yet benefits from its quiet position on a no-through road. With a somewhat random patch of land like this, the major questions are where the Spalls should start their search for information on its potential, and how they can find out whether it’s available to buy.

The site

This plot is made up of three blocks of garages; one with eight units, one with four, and the other with two, in addition to a tarmacked forecourt. They are all standard 1960s flat-roof, brick-built structures. They sit side-on to the road between the rear of a pair of semi-detached houses to the south and a block of flats to the north. A brick wall measuring about 2m high marks the back of the site.