Someone has applied for planning permission on my home

donglefan

It is rather strange; I will investigate all aspects that you've kindly mentioned.

clutton_2

anyone can apply for planning permission to do whatever they want - whether they own the property or not - whether they get permission is another matter !!!!

Debt_Free_Chick

donglefan wrote:

What does now concern me is if someone has registered a 'notice of interest' on my house a the land registry as you suggest they might. I went to the land registry site but couldn't see a way of checking this.

If you go to Land Registry Online you can put details of your property in their and see if it's listed. If it is, then the chances are that the title (ownership) was registered in your name by the Executor. If you want to check, you'll need to pay £2 and download the title register - plus £2 for the site plan, but you don't need that at the moment, unless you want to check that the plot is as you understand it.

If someone has registered an interest, it should be on the title plan. However, I thought the 2002 Act made it more difficult to register an interest these days, but if you are really concerned, call your local land registry office and talk it through with them.

I rather suspect that someone is seeing if development is possible, with a view to making you an offer for the property.

If planning permission is given, it's relevant to the property and the development set out in the plans - it's permission for development to be carried out but NOT permission for the applicant to do it.

donglefan

Hello DFC. That was very useful indeed. I went to the site, found my house registered and have now found the Land Registry Title to my house as supplied Executors.
Does this mean no one can register an interest, even though the house is empty?

Rimo2021

From what I understand it's not that unusual for a potential buyer to apply for planning permission and to make an offer 'subject to planning consent' in the duration although it's usual to have the offer accepted 'subject to planning' before actually applying for consent!

donglefan

Hi Rimo, the house is not even up for sale though.

Rimo2021

donglefan wrote:

Hi Rimo, the house is not even up for sale though.

Yes it's strange - Could it be that it is publicly available information that the house has been inherited - and that an assumption is being made that it will be for sale at some point?

Bossyboots

Rimo2021 wrote:

Yes it's strange - Could it be that it is publicly available information that the house has been inherited - and that an assumption is being made that it will be for sale at some point?

I agree with this.

Speculators/developers have their ear to the ground and will know exactly what is going on. They will be making an assumption that once the property has been updated it will be sold as is the more common process on an inherited house. They would either then look at selling it at a profit with the benefit of planning permission, either thinking you don't know about it or will just want as much as you can get pdq. Or they are looking to extend and make a bigger profit. Either way, if the information is correct and an application has been put in, you can expect more approaches at some stage. You really need to check though whether it is even true that an application has been made.

Although wise to check if someone has registered an interest, I think this is the least likely scenario.

lush_walrus

Bossyboots wrote:

I agree with this.

Speculators/developers have their ear to the ground and will know exactly what is going on. They will be making an assumption that once the property has been updated it will be sold as is the more common process on an inherited house. They would either then look at selling it at a profit with the benefit of planning permission, either thinking you don't know about it or will just want as much as you can get pdq. Or they are looking to extend and make a bigger profit. Either way, if the information is correct and an application has been put in, you can expect more approaches at some stage. You really need to check though whether it is even true that an application has been made.
.

I'm not sure that I agree with this, it is very unusual for any developer to put an application for an extension on a house without the house being for sale. Lodging applications cost money. £110 for the planners and someone somewhere will need to be paid for the time to draw up the plans. On speculation on a house extension this is absolutely bizare. If it were a plot of land and the deleloper were trying to go for compulsary purchase, then yes developers do speculate, but this is generally as part of a larger masterplan that the developers can argue this part of land is required to enable a whole area to be regenerated, not for an individual house extension!

As others have already said, if someone lodges a planning application they need to either fill in certificate A, which indicates that they are the owner, or certificate B, which indicates that they are not and details who is (if known) for notice to be served on them.

If a planning application has been lodged, then the simplest way to find out is to call your local planning department, ask to speak to the duty planner (who normally will answer enquiries in the morning) and ask if there has been an application lodged on such and such address. They will simply look at the files and be able to tell you there and then and your worries will be gone.

Im 100% sure that if this application is for an extension your neighbour has got it wrong and it isnt for your address. No developer would speculate on an extension and negotiate buying once the application has gone in. Any developer will know that if they do you will have notice served on you and then you will be the one to benefit, not them.

donglefan

Brilliant advice. I will call the planning department for the duty planner in the morning and post back here, in case anyone is curious.