Neighbours building a shed to rent out?

breeny

Myself and the wife live in a OK part of Newham, London, and up until about 2 months ago the terraced house next to us had been empty. Since then, we found out that it sold and some students have moved in. Then a month ago, we’ve also found that rooms in the house are being advertised on a B&B website.

In the last week, loads of breezeblocks and building materials have appeared in their front garden, and, the rear garden has been cleared of the trees that were there.

Newham is renowned for renting out sheds for people to live in and we were wondering where we stood legally on this?

Has anybody has experience of a similar situation?

We’ve read that WITHOUT planning permission, then outbuildings have to have no living accommodation – but do we have to wait for it to be built then witness people living in it, before asking the council to take action?

I realise I sound like a right NIMBY here, and wouldn’t be too bothered if we lived in a semi-detached house with plenty of off-road parking – but we live in a terraced-house in an already-cramped road, where we have to park two roads away, and next doors rubbish always finds its way into our bins/garden as there is already too many people in the house

casperlarue

I would either look on your local councils website for any recently submitted planning application or contact the planning dept. Monday morning and speak to a planner. Explain what you've seen, they should advise you of what will happen next.

princeofpounds

You can notify the planning office and building control also. In fact if you talk to planning about your worries you might find they are helpful I telling you what can and can't be done.

SailorSam

This may not be your area but perhaps the same laws apply to the size of build allowed without permission. So if it looks as if 'the shed' is going to exceed this the Council may take action before it's completed.

http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/environment/planning/permitted_development/sheds.htm

planning_officer

If the house was originally a dwelling and is now effectively being used as a B&B, a material change of use may well have already occurred, irrespective of the 'sheds' issue. You could ask you local planning dept to investigate, if planning permission has not been granted for this change of use.

BTW, the link in the above post is actually largely irrelevant, as that describes the 'permitted development' (PD) rights available to single dwellings. A B&B has no such PD rights and, in any event, if the 'shed' is to be used as an independent unit of accommodation, then it will always require planning permission (it will never be PD - anywhere!)