SPECULATING THE POSSIBILITIES
When a plot acts as a car park to local commuters, is there really potential to build the home Ben and Nas are dreaming of?
PLOT WATCH: Mike Dade investigates
WHO Ben & Nas King
WHAT A town centre plot
WHERE Suffolk
Ben and Nas King have been looking to self build in their local town for some time. However, land suitable for a contemporary, urban design has been proving hard to find. Nas has come across an empty plot that appears to serve as an occasional private car park. It’s ideally located, close to the town centre − could this be a possibility?
The plot
The space sits just behind a main shopping street in the town centre. When Nas first saw it, during the weekend, it was an empty space. The same was true when Ben scoped it out on his way to work. But during core hours, it usually has a handful of cars parked on it. It fronts onto a mainly residential street, although there’s currently no direct entry point. That said, there’s no clear reason why access couldn’t be brought there. At the moment, those determined commuters drive onto the site via a rather tortuous route leading around the back. There’s a small public car park on one side of the plot and a tall wall along the other. Temporary fencing separates it from the street. To the rear it gives way to some yard areas at the back of shops and houses. Just opposite, across the road, are some low-rise flats. There are some trees at both the front and back of the plot and a grassy area along the wall boundary. Most of the plot has a hard surface, hence the parking appeal. It measures about 30m deep and 15m wide, so a reasonable size for a detached dwelling.