Planning Permission Refused - Disabled Modifications

HolPal · 20 November 2019 at 10:10PM

LadyDee wrote: »

There are baths that are made for disabled people - so they can be pushed into them, or walk if they can, the door is closed then the bath fills once the person is in it. Don't think they need more room than an ordinary bath. Get her GP/Physio/OT on board. They'll be able to give appropriate advice.

A hoist is not necessarily the answer - from personal experience I can tell you they are not as easy to use as it might seem. Look into installing a walk-in bath before considering a hoist.

Thank you for the advise. She is still able to use the bath at the moment so needed to swap it out is hopefully a while off yet. No matter what bath she has we will still have this overhang issue unless the extension is granted.

Cash-Cows · 21 November 2019 at 12:33AM

HolPal wrote: »

The councils website just says Refused - Other.

No other info is available

This seems unlikely that's all the information available online but your agent should anyway get a copy of the decision notice. Are you sure you're viewing just a list of the decisions and not the actual case information?

Doozergirl · 21 November 2019 at 1:15AM

If they have refused it, there will be a reason. It might be something relatively simple, so if you can furnish us with the drawings and the reason for refusal on the report, we might be able to help with the required adjustments. Please tell your mum not to worry, there is always an answer!

I'd like to help, too, if I can. I have very personal experience of MS and how adaptations are also very personal.

anselld · 21 November 2019 at 7:31AM

HolPal wrote: »

No it didn’t, I assume when the decision is appealed that will be the next step.

I have emailed the local councillor tonight. They don’t have the best reputation so I won’t hold out much hope there!

If it was rejected prior to committee then it was a delegated decision by the planning officer. Councillors were not involved. There will be a letter stating the reason which is usually accessible online but will certainly be posted to the applicant/agent.

It can be appealed but it will still not involve the committee/Councillors. Appeals go to the Planning Inspectorate who are totally independent of the Local Council for obvious reasons. However, there is only any point in appeal if the planners have made a decision which is either mistaken or is a matter of opinion. If there is a clear reason why the plans do not comply with planning policy then it would be better to change the plans.

Planning appeals take several months.

The reasons for the modifications will not be a factor in planning decisions, either at local or inspector level. The focus needs to be on persuading that the plans do not conflict with planning policy (local and national).

Flugelhorn · 21 November 2019 at 9:39AM

sounds like you need to sit down with one of the planning officers, point out that mother is disabled and ask them what would be acceptable for the building and get them on your side.

davidmcn · 21 November 2019 at 10:09AM

anselld wrote: »

The reasons for the modifications will not be a factor in planning decisions

Indeed, you don't get more leeway for making permanent alterations just because of the circumstances of the current occupier.

strongboes · 21 November 2019 at 1:51PM

My mother also has MS, but she has stopped it in it's tracks with diet and supplements, diet changes are the absolute best thing your mum can do (if she hasn't already). Happy to post further if interested.

Doozergirl · 21 November 2019 at 2:18PM

strongboes wrote: »

My mother also has MS, but she has stopped it in it's tracks with diet and supplements, diet changes are the absolute best thing your mum can do (if she hasn't already). Happy to post further if interested.

Good for your mother. Some forms of MS are relapsing/remitting so it's perfectly feasible to not experience symptoms as a matter of course.

My mother had the primary progressive form of the disease and none of the changes she made to her diet, or the supplements she took made a blind bit of difference. It killed her at the age of 44. Thankfully, there seem to be more treatments, hopefully partly as a result of my arranging for her brain and spinal cord to be donated to MS research projects across the world.

I'll tell you for a fact that there is zero evidence of diet stopping a neurological disease, that may well go into remittance as part of it's own course, 'in it's tracks' and, frankly, it's pretty insulting to read it as 'the best thing she can possibly do' when you have no idea what form the disease takes for any individual.

I'm sure the OP's mother does what she can and has researched what she can and that her neurologist is probably more helpful than unfounded pseudo medical advice on a house buying forum.

diggingdude · 21 November 2019 at 4:34PM

Can't offer advice but didn't want to read and go without wishing you all the best. One of my best friends has MS and its an f'ing horrible thing to see her with that pain. I hope you can get what you need

Karenm0202 · 21 November 2019 at 7:00PM

I too cannot offer any advise.....just wanted to answer strongboes ridiculous comment. I have primary progressive ms and cannot understand how someone could post such an insensitive comment. I am sure that if ms was so easy to cure our neurologists would have given me the dietry advise and i wouldnt be stumbling around getting worse and worrying about when i will need a wheelchair. Please think about how your comments affect people before you post. HolPal i hope your mum gets what she needs and that she stays well. Karen