Hampstead Garden Suburb was designed before car ownership became widespread. However a substantial number of properties, particularly those built after the First World War, have garages built either as an integral part of the property or detached from it.

The Trust are very keen to see garages used for the purpose for which they were designed, thereby keeping cars out of view and avoiding parking congestion on Suburb roads.

However, the Trust is aware that many garages were built to a size that is no longer practical for modern cars. The Trust will consider giving consent for the conversion of a garage to a habitable room if the size of the garage, in its original form, is internally less than 2.4m wide by 4.6m long. There may also be some special circumstances which the Trust need to consider such as where access to the garage is impractical.

A consent may have conditions attached to it. These might include the restoration of correct garage doors and the installation of obscured glass.

Applications are frequently submitted showing the garage doors substituted by a window. Whether consent for a change such as this is given will depend very much on whether the garage is an important architectural feature or is part of a symmetrical composition. If consent is given for a window then the Trust will require the removal of the driveway in front of what was the garage and reinstatement with soft landscaping and hedging.

Any further proposals to alter the garage such as adding a window or door will always require Trust consent.

DP 30.10.1997