Bus stop/shelter to be relocated in front of my house

KidDynamo

I have owned the house I'm living in for nearly six years. There has been a bus stop and shelter located just down the road from me, which has never particularly bothered me before (apart from some lazy ****s dumping empty pop bottles and crisp packets in my hedge on the way to it).

This stop and shelter have been in front of land that has been empty since before I moved in. The council have now sold off that bit of land to a housing association and I received notice of a planning application a few months ago.

Each property on the development will have its own off-street parking bay and the planning proposal indicated that bus stop and bus shelter should be relocated to accommodate this. The precise relocation site was to be determined in liaison between the council and the passenger transport authority.

I opposed the application because I thought the parking provision was inadequate (these are locked bays, each with their own direct access to the road, and there is no provision for visitors - as most of the tenants will be disabled, provision for health visitors etc is an issue) and I was concerned that the bus stop would be relocated in front of my house and it would be too close to the junction with a side road almost opposite my house.

I contacted my local councillor about the issue and he was told by the planning officer concerned that the planning department would be recommending that the stop and shelter would be relocated in the opposite direction to my house. With this knowledge, I wrote again to the planning committee to revise my stance to Neutral; but continuing to register my concerns about the parking and bus stop relocation.

I kept an eye on the planning application online. Then one day a document appeared on the portal saying that the application had been approved. I had never been informed of the planning meeting. I raised this with the now ex-councillor (as he had stood down at the local election) and he said they didn!!!8217;t have to invite me as I was not listed as an objector any more. Had I known this would happen, I would of course have maintained my Objector stance. But anyway, even at this late stage, a decision still had not been made on where the bus stop was to be relocated. However, in the Chief Planning Officer's report and earlier documents, my specific concern about the location of the stop was mentioned.

Time passed and I still hadn't heard anything more about it. Then a couple of days ago a work team were doing some kind of exploratory work on the land, so that prompted me to email the planning officer named in the documentation to ask whether any decision had yet been made on the bus stop relocation. I didn't get a reply, so phoned the council and was told this officer was on annual leave.

I then phoned the architects who made the application and they confirmed to me that a decision had been reached and it was to be moved in front of my house! As you can imagine, I feel dismayed and betrayed by this. Nobody has even had the decency to inform me of this officially, despite it having a significant material effect on my home.

I know people will say it smacks of Nimby-ism but It does mean that visitors to my home will have to park a significant distance away and I may have issues with people blocking my drive (I had an issue with some *@££!$ neighbours doing this when I first moved in, and of course I was somehow the one in the wrong for complaining about it), plus there are inconsiderate people who already treat my hedge as a litter bin, which will only worsen if the stop itself is relocated directly in front, so I think I'm justified in believing that it will have a negative impact on my house value. Plus the issue with the proximity to the junction is a genuine concern.

I am now taking up the issue with my newly elected councillors and the local MP. Does anyone know what my options are to get the bus stop located somewhere else, short of an appeal to the Secretary of State or a judicial review? These solutions seem a bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut, so what other options are available? If the stop and shelter absolutely must be located there, can I at least get compensation for the loss of amenity and reduction in property value?

sevenhills

KidDynamo wrote: »

I know people will say it smacks of Nimby-ism but It does mean that visitors to my home will have to park a significant distance away and I may have issues with people blocking my drive

If the bus stop is outside your house, with a marked bay, that means cars will not be allowed to park there.
Not easy to judge without seeing the road and conditions.

ReadingTim

It doesn't "smack of Nimby-ism", it's the very textbook definition of it!

Anyway, googling "moved bus stop compensation" reveals the following:

Success! - but it seems there was a 'good' reason, and the cost was met by the resident - £11k

Failure! - loss of value seems hard to prove

MSE discussion - sadly many of your reasons don't seem valid.

Doozergirl

Appeal to the Secretary of State is available to the applicant only.

A judidicial review isn't warranted. They have followed due process.

There isn't anything to be done. The application has been approved. Sometimes people complain to the Local Government Ombudsman, but what have they done wrong, exactly? Not liking their decision doesn't mean they've done something wrong.

What does Manual for Streets say about the location of bus stops? I'm making a guess that's where any guidance would be.

KidDynamo

Well, if you’re going to be that much of a **** about it, Tim, it can’t be a “textbook definition” of it since it will not be located in my back yard and I don’t actually own a back yard (I have front and back gardens, though).

All I’m trying to find out is whether I can challenge the decision or, if this isn’t possible, whether I can seek damages for tje loss of amenity and reduced property value.

hazyjo

The one prob seems to be that you changed your stance from objector to neutral. Can't really work out why... :think:


I would be objecting from the rooftops (NIMBY - yep, guilty!).

buglawton

You might be able to object on technical grounds that the final location decision did not conform to procedures. For example, a notice should have been placed at the actual final planned location for x weeks.

Councils are quite prone to paying compensation as it's other peoples money so that may be worth pursuing if the final decision is inevitable.

Cakeguts

The answer is to move to a house which is in a road that isn't on a bus route.

parkrunner

Would never live in a property with a bus stop right outside. Guaranteed mess and evening/night noise.

hazyjo

parkrunner wrote: »

Would never live in a property with a bus stop right outside. Guaranteed mess and evening/night noise.

Not to mention having to keep the window covered to stop people nosing in! Was thinking more at night, but actually not sure I'd want it in the daytime either!

theartfullodger

Welcome to MSE.

ReadingTim wrote: »

It doesn't "smack of Nimby-ism", it's the very textbook definition of it! ...................

+1, 100%.

KidDynamo wrote: »

Well, if you.re going to be that much of a **** about it, Tim,............

Many might suggest that is completely uncalled-for Sir/Madam!

Come on, be honest, of course it's Nimby-ism, don't kid yourself KidDyno! Just as I don't want to live with any more bank-robbers down our street: (Yup!, big job, Heathrow...We're in a very pleasant area in leafy Berkshire)

As wisely suggested,

Cakeguts wrote: »

The answer is to move to a house which is in a road that isn't on a bus route.

Best wishes to all. Artful: Holder of free 'bus pass, thank you you generous taxpayers you (...old...)