Research shows 41% of London council garages empty
Freedom of Information requests lodged by property crowdfunding website Property Partner have revealed over 40% of council-owned garages and lockups across London are empty. In some boroughs, this figure rises to nearly 75%. The total stock of garages across the 24 boroughs that responded to the company’s requests could provide enough space for 16,000 new homes. The borough with the highest proportion of empty garages was Ealing at 74%. Spokesmen for the borough say that it is building 300 new homes on garage sites.

T housands of new homes could be created in London if council garages that sit empty were freed up, a study has found.

Freedom of Information requests revealed that more than 40 per cent of lock-up garages owned by councils across the capital remain empty or in disrepair.

And in some boroughs, nearly three-quarters of garages were not in use, the study found.

According to the report, the total stock of garages, including those in use and vacant, could provide enough square footage for at least 16,000 new homes.

The research was carried out by property crowdfunding website Property Partner and included data from the 24 London boroughs that responded to requests.

New homes: The research suggests thousands of houses could be created from the garage spaces / Rightmove

Out of the 53,640 council-owned lock-up garages in the survey, 22,230, or 41 per cent, were found to be standing empty for various reasons.

Dan Gandesha, chief executive of Property Partner, suggested the "shapshot" figures show there could be wider opportunities to develop publicly owned land that is being underused, such as that in the health sector.

He said: "If a significant number of council garages, which are part of housing estates, are not even rented to those who should have a right to them - local authority tenants - then it could be argued that this is a wasted opportunity."

Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of garages in Ealing were empty, the highest proportion among the boroughs which gave complete responses.

A spokesman for Ealing Council said: "A large number of our garages are too small for modern cars and people no longer want to rent them. As a result, we are redeveloping them to provide new housing where this is feasible."

He said 300 new homes are being built on garage sites across the borough and added: "Many of the empty garages are on estates which are being demolished and rebuilt."

Sir Steve Bullock, London Councils' executive member for housing, said: "Many councils are converting garages and other small infill sites on existing council land where it is possible.

"But in many cases such sites are unsuitable for development or on land earmarked for large-scale future development.

"There is no quick fix for London's housing crisis. Boroughs are doing their part by granting planning applications for tens of thousands of homes every year but they must be given the support and resources."