Common misconception re Local Authority Planning and Building Control Departments

Hoploz

Can anyone help with a question about Permitted Development, please?

In a nutshell, I want to move a window to a different wall in the room, which I understand I can do.

If the neighbours don't like it, do they have a right to complain and get us to brick it up, or does Permitted Development mean no-one can complain and we can do as we like???
Thanks.

(PS not in a conservation area or anything special)

harryhound

Your existing window may pre-date modern concepts of privacy and even benefit from the legal concept of "ancient lights". Move it and you might have difficulty when the neighbour grows a Leylandii hedge or that 20 foot high couch grass called bamboo, across it?
Would glass bricks do? Mind you with modern energy saving regulations it might be difficult to make extra windows comply with the regulations. Don't forget you are meant to save 20% by 2020!
To put the boot on the other foot:
Some of the people in these threads seem to know what they are talking about:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=11445757&highlight=kitchen#post11445757

Failing that try a web site called "gardenlaw" by doing a URL search in advanced Google.

harryhound

kingsand wrote: »

Am trying to replace windows in a cottage. The ones there are "Crittal"? Conservation officer wants wooden sash replacements as these may or may not have been there originally. No-one knows how old the cottage is or when it was converted. It has been animal accommodation, shops & dwellings. He is trying to liken it to other run-down farm buildings in the area but the existing windows must have been in 40 years. Area is section 4 although property not listed. I have read that even in this case, if we replace with exact copies they cannot object. We were trying for Aluminium in existing wooden frames, this looks unlikely now. Will put new "Crittal" windows in if need be. Quote for wooden windows was £3000 not fitted!!!! Can anyone help? Sorry if this is not the right thread but something similar was discussed earlier.

Are the existing Crittal windows the nasty pre 1955 ones that go rusty?
I have bought and double glazed (6-4-6mm coated units) frames from a "architectural salvage yard" to match an existing building. The galvanising under the paint was as good as new. Still suffered from cold bridges and under current regulations would not comply - but hell who is watching?

You might be able to get the existing windows to comply by using something like "Magneglaze" to make them triple glazed, with something that can be taken down in the summer; should you want that 1920's feel to the home & garden.?

Oh dear one of these is sensitised to what is going on: Conservation officer

I wonder if Teresa Gorman (ex MP) is still around and able to act as your consultant - she largely got away with doing what she wanted to a wreck of a green belt listed farmhouse.

http://www.findaproperty.com/displaystory.aspx?edid=00&salerent=0&storyid=8654

DdraigGoch

My advice from experience would be to always get yourself an architect of some sort, pay them a fee and ensure that the [fixed price] contract includes getting ALL permissions and so on sorted out. I did this with my new house and it's saved me thousands. When planning permission was granted for the house many years ago the building regulations weren't applied for at the same time, so I had to do it and it caused no end of problems. The archtect[ural technician] sorted out who to speak to, how to put things and so forth, I now have an awful lot more to spend than I thought I would when I took on the property, but it's an awful lot less than it would have been if I hadn't had her help, believe me!

I didn't even KNOW about Building Regs being separate, I presumed, like many people, that they were part of the same office and if you had PP, BR came with it - sort of Council BOGOF - Grin!!

Hope that helps

emilyt

Not sure if this in the right place but i will ask anyway.
Do i need planning permission to widen my driveway.
We had a driveway put in about 20 years ago. Now we want to widen it to fit 2 cars. There is no pavement on our side of the road so don't need to lower the kirb.
We didn't need planning permission 20 years ago but my DH has been told by a friend that we might do now.
Thanks in advance.
Emily

planning_officer

If it's just hardstanding to widen the drive that you're proposing, then no, you don't need planning permission - the laying of hardstanding is classed as 'permitted development'. If you're widening the access to the road, you may require PP for the widening of an access - it depends on whether you live on a classified road. If it's an A, B or C class road - then yes, you will need PP. If it's unclassified, then no - you won't (subject to the little known clause that it doesn't create a highway danger, e.g. right next to a junction).

emilyt

Thanks for your reply Planning officer.
Don't mean to sound stupid but what is an A,B or C class road.
We live on a Close.
We won't be affecting anyone else. Our house is situated half way up the close. IYSWIM.
By what you say i dont think we will need planning permission.

Many thanks for your advice.
Emily

planning_officer

If it's a 'close' as you describe it then it sounds like it's not classified. The easiest way to find if the road is classified is to look at an Ordnance Survey map and see what colour the road is: red for A roads, orange for B roads and yellow for C roads. If your road is white then it will be unclassified and the widening of the access should be classed as permitted development.

rizla01

I realise that this is a controversial statement but I have done quite a few properties up in my time and am fairly experienced in all building work and my philosophy, which is shared by many of my ilk, is that I wont apply for PP OR BR if no-one is able to say whether or not that work was carried out before I purchased. Often it's a case of 'no-one will ever know!'

I even have a supply of pre-dated 'twin & earth' for my electrical work.
This is not just to save a few bob but also a few days/weeks delay in finishing.

Planning/Building control officials must know that this sort of thing goes on all of the time, so I just wondered what are your views on this?

Also, sometimes I will do the work and apply retrospectively but I also know a lot of the regs so my work doesn't usually need altering (much)

rizla01

Hoploz wrote: »

Can anyone help with a question about Permitted Development, please?

In a nutshell, I want to move a window to a different wall in the room, which I understand I can do.

If the neighbours don't like it, do they have a right to complain and get us to brick it up, or does Permitted Development mean no-one can complain and we can do as we like???
Thanks.

(PS not in a conservation area or anything special)

Surprised no-one has answered yet but (AFAIK) you cannot just put in a window overlooking a neighbours property if their house is a certain distance away unless you use obscure glass.

It all depends (I think) on the distance of the property and the distance of the boundary and ALSo the height of the window (ie. can you now see into their back garden where you couldn't before?)