Full planning permission - sewer data wrong

Not_a_clue

I have become aware that a neighbours full planning application has been submitted and approved with the drains/sewers completely wrong. They feed out on the plans to a public road sewer that does not (and will not) exist. Rather unfortunate! Does this invalidate the approval?


I had been thinking about using their architect but not now!!!!!

FreeBear

Wouldn't have thought it would invalidate approval in its entirety. Would certainly cause problems when they try to connect to a nonexistent sewer and building control wouldn't sign off on that part of the work. Sounds like they are going to end up somewhere down !!!! street unless there is an alternative.

For a cesspit, they would most likely need to make a secondary planning application. Fun & games all round.

Davesnave

FreeBear wrote: »

For a cesspit, they would most likely need to make a secondary planning application. Fun & games all round.

I don't think any authority will now approve a cess pit without a very good reason.

Not noticing there's no sewer probably wouldn't count.

EachPenny

Not_a_clue wrote: »

I have become aware that a neighbours full planning application has been submitted and approved with the drains/sewers completely wrong. They feed out on the plans to a public road sewer that does not (and will not) exist. Rather unfortunate! Does this invalidate the approval?

I had been thinking about using their architect but not now!!!!!

The short answer is 'no'.

The longer answer is, provided they can work with the water company and council to find an alternative approach, and assuming that alternative doesn't need planning consent itself.

The vaguer answer is that planning consents are usually given with a level of delegated authority for a planning officer to agree alterations to the plans if circumstances change during construction. If a different drainage scheme is required, the case officer can probably sign it off in consultation with the water company - this kind of thing is relatively routine work.

It would be a different matter if the architect had designed the house 6 feet wider than the plot of land they are building on.

System

I don't think drainage design is material for domestic applications unless it's a new house, even then usually the utility providers are asked to comment on the application.
As a rule we don't show drainage on planning drawings (unless there is a suds requirement) as most below ground drainage is guesswork anyway.
I recently had a utility company object to a planning application for a new house because there was no public sewer within 300m of the site, but when we showed them photos of their sewer on the site boundary they changed their tune... but the records they had and were basing advice on were about 26 years out of date!

Not_a_clue

Thanks for the replies, as I thought. If I feel kind I will tell them. Given that they have only left a metre of garden around the extension and will actually be building over the public sewer they may well need to build a manhole cover in their new kitchen as there is limited/no scope to join the sewer elsewhere without crossing the sewer and back again (- probably not a runner).

The estate was built many years ago as a whole and has some interesting sewer layouts, mainly in back gardens with some stretches of road having no main sewer. However the system seems to have been well planned as there are few problems with it. Luckily for me the sewer layout is only a minor problem for me, in that I can get away without a buildover agreement if I reduce my plans by 1ft.

Again, many thanks.