Is neighbours porch breaking building regs

sarah7610

How come I can see the picture? This is too complicated for me. Computers are not my thing!

espresso

sarah7610 wrote: »

How come I can see the picture? This is too complicated for me. Computers are not my thing!

You need to upload the picture onto a server e.g. http://www.photobucket.com/ and then include the link to the picture in your post on here.

e.g.

sarah7610

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss320/sarah7610/house1.jpg

sarah7610

Hope i've done this right.
Thanks espresso
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss320/sarah7610/4.jpg

Ladybird20

ooo ...you do seem to be blocked in now with both the porches,,i wouldnt like that, i am sure your front room must be a bit dark now,,good luck with sorting it xx

sarah7610

Thanks Ladybird.
Yes it is very impossing

Errata

Looks like the side wall is on your land. The planning dept at the council is your best bet.

Taadaa

Lordy lordy that is monstrous. It appears to me that the wall is too far on your boundary. Be careful with the way that you handle it though as if you have a dispute with him he has to report it to potential buyers when he does sell and it may put sellers off. Really you want shot off before he does something else equally horrendous!!

planning_officer

Sorry to hear about your probs with this porch. From a planning perspective, a porch has to meet 3 criteria in order for it to be permitted development (and not therefore require permission from the Council). Firstly, it must be under 3m in height, which it is (yours looks like it exceeds this, so hope you have planning permission! lol). Secondly, it must not be closer than 2m from the front boundary with the highway, and it's obviously further than this. Thirdly, it must be no more than 3 sqm in area (measured externally). The whole of the front extension on your neighbours property would exceed this - but is all of it new? Or is it just the porch bit closest to your house that has been built recently? I assume it is the whole thing, as the tiles are all similar (none have weathered more than the others), so in that case it will definitely need planning permission.

In fact, it's too big to be a porch and a front extension is not allowed as permitted development - so definitely speak to the Council. Having said that, whether it encroaches on to your land is not a planning matter and the planning dept won't be concerned with that (you need to speak to a solicitor about that, as it's a civil issue). And to be honest, whilst it's visible from your front window, it does not project very far and I really don't think it looks bad enough to refuse an application should they submit one to retain it - although it's likely the Council would condition the side window to be obscure glazed.

One other thing - it makes no difference if he moves (although a good solicitor should spot it has no permission) - if the Council pursue any action against the extension, or require a planning application to be submitted, the responsibility of this will fall onto the new owners.

lindos90

planning_officer wrote: »

whether it encroaches on to your land is not a planning matter and the planning dept won't be concerned with that (you need to speak to a solicitor about that, as it's a civil issue).

This is crazy but true afaik. My neighbour had planning permission to build an extension, I saw the plans at the council office and pointed out to the officer that the majority of the foundations on the boundary side of the extension were actually on my side of the boundary and would mean digging up my patio about 18" along the boundary!!!

The officer said he was not bothered about that as long as the building was safe, and infact anyone can ask for planning permission on any land, not necessarily land they own!!

Thank goodness since then my neighbour has not gone ahead with the extension, but I live in fear that he will one day, if he got permission once, he could do it again.