Planning and 'third parties'

Beenie · 18 April 2017 at 10:34AM

We have applied for Planning Permission to build an extension. It is at the rear of our house and does not affect any neighbours (we are all large detached, with large gardens and high fences/trees, so cannot even see each other's houses anyway).

We are all on friendly terms and the nearest neighbour has said that at the same time she received the notice from Planning, she also received a letter from a third party saying that they would represent her if our plans affected her.

As the plan won't bother her, she threw the letter into her wood burner and didn't take notice of who had written it. I would love to know how any company could have got this information so quickly (for their letter to arrive at the very same time that the Planning departments letter arrived). Does anyone have any info or similar experience of this sort of thing?

AndyMc..... · 18 April 2017 at 10:36AM

Are your plans on the councils website?

Beenie · 18 April 2017 at 10:47AM

I'm not sure about that. I expect they might be, as we applied about 3 weeks ago.

But even if they are, are you saying that there are people/companies who speculatively write to all neighbours touting for business? Apparently, the letter said that we (the applicants) would have to pay the neighbours fee for the 'third party' services. Our neighbour thought this was a bit off (her words were "preying on people's unnecessary fears...and at you expense)

AndyMc..... · 18 April 2017 at 10:49AM

Looks like they have.

mishkanorman · 18 April 2017 at 11:44AM

When we applied for planning we received letters from building firms touting for business, who specifically quoted our planning application

System · 18 April 2017 at 12:07PM

Planning applications are listed on local authority websites as soon as they are validated, lots of companies trawl them to try and drum up business...
The other thing to note is that anyone can object to a planning application, they don't have to be directly affected by it or even live in the local area etc, if they make valid planning objections they are still valid, similarly proposals with no objections can still be refused if they don't comply with the local plan...

EssexExile · 18 April 2017 at 12:14PM

Beenie wrote: »

Apparently, the letter said that we (the applicants) would have to pay the neighbours fee for the 'third party' services.

Ah, party wall surveyors! Vincent Brown by any chance?

Annie1960 · 18 April 2017 at 12:16PM

Beenie wrote: »

But even if they are, are you saying that there are people/companies who speculatively write to all neighbours touting for business? Apparently, the letter said that we (the applicants) would have to pay the neighbours fee for the 'third party' services. Our neighbour thought this was a bit off (her words were "preying on people's unnecessary fears...and at you expense)

Yes, there are some particularly aggressive Party Wall Surveyors out there, who do exactly this. If you are detached this probably won't affect you.

Beenie · 18 April 2017 at 3:44PM

We are detached and our nearest neighbour is about 50 metres away.

Nothing we do will affect them, they can't see that end of our house in any case, and there is no 'party wall' except the usual trees and hedges.

From what I've read elsewhere, these 'ambulance chaser' surveyors just try it on with all planning applications. Sometimes people take them up on the offer.

Planning and 'third parties'

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free