Loft conversion..no planning or building regs!

Yorkie1

leveller2911 wrote: »

Not sure thats right Yorkie.Its still in the news about that farmer Mr Fidler (apt name) who built the castle behind the hay bales without PP. He assumed the time lapsed for action but the council have taken him to the high court so I'm not sure the time element is correct.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/general/news/stories/2010/july2010/2010_07_week_2/080710_4

The council eventually lost and the planning portal does reference limitation periods of 4 years and 10 years.

As does another council's website.
http://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/planning/enforcement-action

sheramber

We are in Scotland.

We bought a house with a loft conversion that had planning permission but the owenrs had never got a completion certificate although they had used the bedrooms and bathroom for 10 years.

It was too late to apply for a Completion Certificate but they had to apply to the council for a Letter of Comfort.

The coversion had to comply with current regs so the open staircase , which had too large gaps between the treads, had to be filled in ( we asked the joiner to screw the pieces in so we could remove them after the inspection) and additonal ventilation in the roof was needed.

The council then inspected the work and issued the Letter of Comfort stating that the work had been done to standard.

Our solictior held back a sum equal to the cost of the work until the letter was issued and the work paid for by the sellers. He then released the balance of the purchase price to the sellers.

My son has recently bought a top flat in a tenement. The seller had converted the attic to use as a 'bedroom'. It is accessed by a Ramsay ladder in a walk in cupboard.

As it does not have planning permision the house could only be sold as a one bedroom flat with no extra for the attic conversion.

leveller2911

Yorkie1 wrote: »

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/general/news/stories/2010/july2010/2010_07_week_2/080710_4

The council eventually lost and the planning portal does reference limitation periods of 4 years and 10 years.

The Council appealed and won Yorkie,Its still ongoing as we speak.

Mr Fidler knows he can no longer go down the limitations rule so he is now saying he needs the home because he needs to live on site.. I may be wrong but I think the reason he has dropped the limitations defence is because his whole intention was to deceive the planners and circumvent the regulations.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2822108/Honeycrock-Farmhouse-secretly-built-castle-faces-demolision-unless-owner-Robert-Fidler-convinces-planning-inspector-property-serves-agricultural-need.html


Personally I hope the Council kncok it down and make him pay for it.The reason being ,if they allow him to get away with this then they set a president that anyone can get away with it.

Blatently building a house disguised from public view and against planning,not complying with regulations is something we can't allow.

Anyone who goes out with the intention of building,converting or carrying out any work that needs planning approval or Building regs approval and doesn't, should be clamped down on heavily.Ignorance is no defence, all it takes is a letter/phine call,e-mail to the local Authority......Just my opinion of course..