Planning problem with neighbours

Treacly

beckseven wrote: »

I've got a horrible feeling that we have been duped by our neighbours who were trying to conceal their new planning application from us. We get a local council paper and I always check the planning bit and never saw it there ( I think we didn't get a delivery of it for a couple of weeks..) and the parish magazine hadnt been posted through our door-I found it on the floor.

Are you implying that your neighbours have intercepted your post? That's a pretty serious allegation (and nigh on impossible to prove, I'd have thought), but you have my deepest sympathy - your neighbours do sound like a bit of a nightmare and I don't have any trouble seeing why you don't want your property overlooked by a load of mouth-breathers on their naff balcony - I wouldn't either. I've no advice though - I objected to a development overlooking my property once, but in the end it went through and I just moved and let them get on with it!

beckseven

Thanks everyone for your posts and advice. I' m going to ring the planning officer this morning to raise my concerns-obviously I'm not going to make any allegations of intercepting post-this is just an unfounded feeling i have. I don't think my neighbours are voyeurs or perverts-I hope not anyway!-but I would have liked to have had the chance to object to the balcony which I haven't because i didn't recieve the post I should have. wish me luck in getting hold of the planning officer!

beckseven

It was an unfounded feeling about the post because i've just had a call from the council saying that they are very sorry but there was an administrative error and none of the neighbours were sent notification of the new plans! Where do I stand with this as I haven't been given the right to object due to the council's errors?

Imp

I don't think it is mandatory for a letter to be sent to neighbours, but some councils do it as a matter of policy. Was a notice posted up outside the house advising you of the planning application. If this wasn't put up, then you might (only might) have a case.

BatCat

Hi,
Have you looked at your local planning office website to see what the steps are to be granted planning permission? We've just been through the planning permission gauntlet ourselves and neighbour notification is a step you have to go through. Neighbours have to be notified and are given 2-3 weeks to object. Only then is the planning permission application allowed to proceed.
If I were you I would contact my local concillor and see what they can do to help you. If the planning office has missed out a step in their process then they should be able to help you. You could also just try going down to the planning office and having a chat with them.
Good Luck!
BatCat

Counting_Pennies_2

http://www.lgo.org.uk/complaints-about-general-planning-advice/

If you don't get anywhere, I woulc consider going to the ombudsman

RLH33

Sorry I am on maternity leave at the moment so am unable to look at the regs. However a Council does have a duty to inform local residents of planning applications either by way of an advertisement in the paper, a notice outside or letters to the adjoining properties. They have to do some of these but not all to discharge their responsibility.

You need to find out whether the application was advertised in a local paper or whether there was a notice outside. If there were neither then you will have a case to complain to the Council, and then to the Ombudsman for certain. However I think, and I cannot be sure as I am not in the office at the mo, that if they have advertised it in the paper and/or put up a notice then you have no cause for complaint regarding the lack of notification.

beckseven

There was a notice put up but it was just after we'd received the plans for the first extension-the applications were put in very close together-so I thought this was for the first application. I didn't see the new plans in the news paper and I religiously check the planning applications because I am nosey! It is part of our council's planning regs and apparently three other neighbours should have been notified also but weren't. I'm going to put a written complaint to the council and also will contact my local councillor.

zcrat41

Hi,
I don't know if it helps but I know for putting up agricultural buildings (and this inculdes a residential house we built) neighbours within 400m have to be notified.
Might be a bit different though.
good luc
zc

Sunshine12

Imp wrote: »

I don't think it is mandatory for a letter to be sent to neighbours, but some councils do it as a matter of policy. Was a notice posted up outside the house advising you of the planning application. If this wasn't put up, then you might (only might) have a case.

Im pretty sure that a neighbour notification has to be sent to any neighbours within a certain distance of where the works are being undertaken. They have the right to object within a certain number of days from the date of notification.