retrospective planning permission appeal

JeromeC

Planning permission – What next

My neighbours have been granted a retrospective planning permission for an extension/fire escape despite my objection.
Once a planning permission has been granted is there anything that can be done (appeal?) or do I have to accept that there is nothing I can do anymore?

Just as a summary of my situation:
1- Back in 2005, my neighbour applies for planning permission to extend at the back of their house/B&B business and to rebuild the fire escape
2- Plans seemed reasonable to me I do not object to the planning permission
3- Permission granted Dec 2005
4- Sept 2008 They start work, It quickly becomes apparent that the extension is longer that on the original plan
5- Mars 2009 They rebuilt the fire escape in a different location and in a different form than on the plan of the original planning permission: Straight stairs rather than spiral and much closer to my boundary than planned
6- I first contact the planning office to find out what I can do about this. I also realise at this stage that the neighbour have not served any party wall notice despite digging foundation out to the party wall, knocking part of the party wall off and even detaching my TV aerial from the party wall and dumping it on my roof.
7-August 2009 the planning office ask the neighbour to file a retrospective planning application for the fire escape
9-October 2009, a retrospective application is filed for the fire escape, I notice that the submitted drawing do not reflect what has been built. The real flat roof extension is longer and taller, therefore the fire escape walkway on the flat roof is higher and the flight of stairs from the walkway to the back garden is taller and protrudes further out in to their back garden. I object to the application in writing and point out the discrepancies in the drawings to the planning officer, I also point out that a large glass french door build at the back of the extension is much wider than on the plan (3.6m instead of 2.2m) and I believe that the fire escaped has been moved has it would otherwise obstruct part of this enlarged glass doors. I also wrote to the local councillors asking that the case be dealt with by a committee rather than a single planning officer.
10-Dec 2009 the retrospective planning application for the fire escape is granted (not by a committee) .
11- I spoke on Saturday to someone at the planning office desk who suggested that it does not matter that the extension is longer and bigger or the fact that the glass door is wider, because the applicant have a “right to extend”, he also suggested that the fact that the drawing are inaccurate does not really matter as the planning officer has visited the site himself.


Thank you all again,

Jerome

ormus

it all depends. small changes will usually go through ok. big changes rarely get through.
depends on where you live and what type of planning officers you have.
some are pretty good and genuine. others are a waste of space.

a_j_mair

It has had planning granted basically it is tough for you. You have objected it is not as plan and they have had a restrospective planning passed. There is nothing you can do.

You also asked for the application to be dealt with by a comitee, unless there are over 10 objections iirc it will be dealt with by an officer.

If they have been out on site already and are happy there isnt much you can do.

You trying to tell them there job will not help either more likely to get there back up imo

poly1

If you have concerns over the effect of the Party Wall then THIS link may help explain to you the Party Wall Act.