Developer fudged plans to get planning permission

chickenfeed

Hi,

Does anyone know what would happen if

1) a developer fudged the 'plans'
2) the development got approval (planning permission)
3) the development was almost completed (built)
4) then the 'fudge' was found out

the fudge in this case was making the car park spaces smaller than the minimum requirement, to make it look as though the development has the required number of car park spaces.

Thanks
CF

marybishop

Hopefully when someone tells the Planning Department they will be in touch with the developer to question why they haven't followed the approved plans and you will have a good case against the developer. Can you say who it is or isn't that allowed?

silvercar

If the fudge was found out, the council should order the developer to correct the mistake before giving final sign off to the development. If the developer didn't do the work then the council could serve enforcement notices and eventually carry out the work themselves and charge the developer. At the time the developer was found out, he could apply for (retrospective) planning permission to keep the development as is.

matto

But it sounds as though the only thing the developer has to do is paint the white lines as they are shown on the plan where they happen to be too small to park a car.

Not sure there is anything that can be done. Did the developer specify in writing that parking for x cars would be provided of was it just an assumption based on the drawings?

peter999

chickenfeed wrote: »

4) then the 'fudge' was found out

the fudge in this case was making the car park spaces smaller than the minimum requirement, to make it look as though the development has the required number of car park spaces.

Who has found out & is going to tell Planning Dept ??

Does it matter ??

peter999

marybishop

Yes it does matter - why should these developers keep getting away with flouting rules when Joe Bloggs has to stick to them. If you can't park your car what use is that! Go for it CF and speak to the Planning Dept - be interested to hear what they say.

benood

These days the rules tend to allow a maximum number of car parking spaces I think - so fewer equals greener and it's unlikely that the planning dept would be concerned.

But you've nothing to lose by asking them the question.

Doozergirl

Planning certainly requires a minimum number of parking spaces, I doubt the developer was trying to fit in too many, too small parking spaces on valuable building land!

Out of interest, what is the minimum requirement for the space of a parking space?

It's a shame developers make their roads tiny to compensate for the off-road parking :wall:

chickenfeed

A Little more information:

Developed originally submitted plans with X car parking spaces that met the minimum space (for each car park space). :j

The developer was told that these plans were likely to be 'not permitted' as they did not meet the minimum NUMBER of spaces for the amount of flats.

The developed re-submitted revised plans with MORE car parking spaces. These new car spaces did not meet the minimum required space per car (fudged). But they did meet the number of spaces Y. :mad:

I believe no-one has ever spotted the fudge/mistake (except myself)... I'm sitting on it for awhile to decide what to do with my findings.

silvercar

As part of the planning application, developers submit scale drawings. This would have shown the size of the parking spaces.

matto

Unless it is a condition of the planning permission that x number of parking space are provided I don't see that theres anything that can be done.

Agree with benood that current planning applications do not have to have as many parking spaces as those in the recent past, at least where there is access to public transport. On that basis the planners probably won't be too bothered.