Buying or accessing council land and garages
You can use the information on this page to find out about land we own, and how we handle it. This also includes buying and selling land, using our land for access and council-owned garages.
We are a major land owner in the city, but we have decided not to sell land we own, unless it is a strategic piece of land.
This means we will refuse all enquiries to buy our land, even if it seems unused or redundant.
We only hold records of land that we own.
You can view a map of our land and building assets or download our Land and Buildings Register.
If we don’t own a piece of land, we will not be able to tell you who does own it, as those are nationally-held records. You can find out who does own a piece of land via HM Land Registry.
We own a small number of garages in Fifth Avenue and Avon Road, which are all currently occupied. However, we do have a waiting list.
The charge for renting a garage is £90 per month, which includes VAT. You will also have to pay a £250 security deposit. We will repay your deposit when you hand the garage back to us, subject to its condition.
You may also be able to rent a garage from CHP, a local social housing provider.
If you want to install a dropped kerb to access to your property and the access crosses our land, you need to ask us for permission. You will also need to separately apply for planning permission and get consent from the Essex County Council, as the local highway authority.
This is called an easement, which is a permanent right of access over our land. It also allows you to make planned alterations to the land. However, it does not give you ownership of the land or rights to use it in any other way, or for any other purpose.
If we grant you an easement, it gives a permanent right of way that will transfer with your property if you sell it.
We calculate the cost of an easement based on the market value of your property. We will charge 1% of the property value for a single access, plus a contribution towards our legal and professional fees.
If you would like to apply for an easement for a dropped kerb, you can contact us. You will need to include details of your proposal together with a site plan and photographs of the affected area.
You can also find out about applying for planning permission for dropped kerbs.
If you require access to our land to install utilities, you can contact us , sending full details of your request.
If we previously owned your property, it is likely that there are restrictive covenants in place. This means the title deeds will contain details of certain restrictions and obligations on the owner.
If we have put a covenant on your property, you will need to ask us for permission if you want to:
- carry out building work to extend your home
- create a new dwelling in the grounds
If this is the case, you need to contact us, and include full details of your proposals.
When we review your application, we may charge a compensation payment, plus a contribution towards our legal and professional fees.