Question about neighbours planned 2 storey extension

AlexMac

As someone said above, permitted development rights are irrelevant; your neighbour doesn't even have to apply for planning permission if building within PD rights; so the fact that they have applied means the developemnt is bigger than PD; but these are not a limit.

Round here, land values have rocketed, so people apply for outrageous extensions or demolish/& new builds to maximise plot values. The worst was a 6 metre deep basement hole within 1m of the neighbours each side! Earthquaking! If the Council Planners are consulting neighbours , that means they have accepted the application, so unless a lot of people object, it could get passed by default, without even going in front of the Councillors who you elect to take these decisons.
In my Council area, there must be at least 8 written or website objections to force the item on to a public agenda, where you can go along and object orally, to re-inforce your written objections.

So if waht is being proposed really is objectionable, stoke up your neighbours- maybe after ringing the planning officer to find out if the same 'rule of 8' applies in your manor, or other useful tips.

Get all your comments in by the deadline. via your council website, by letter or email. Ask how to. Make sure your neighbours do too; individual ones; not a petition!

Object on relevant and factual grounds; overlooking, mass, height, loss of privacy, that the building reprsents over-intensive developemnt of the site, takes up too much garden, means loss of trees, will set a bad precedent which others will follow leading to worsening environment/loss of green areas...etc. Not that you don't like your neighbour or that it will be noisy/dusty etc (not valid objections)

Then go to the committe and say all that- concisely and unemotionally. We have done this a lot recently- but only to really awful schemes; we let the OK ones go without objecting. Some we win, some we lose. But if you do lose, don't get sore; if the extension was already there when you moved in you probably wouldn't even have noticed it?

Good luck