Neighbours building without planning permission

Mickey666

EchoLocation said:

Take it from me, an extension being considered 'over-development' by a parish council, is in no way guaranteed to be rejected by a county council at all. The question the OP really has to ask themselves is whether the fall out with their neighbour will be worth it.

Yes, being married to a parish councillor I know how little their planning views are taken into account.  That's not so much because the council simply ignore them out of hand but more because their usual objections are not actually valid in terms of the planning policies.

Many people seem to think that they can object to a planning application for any old reason.  Well, on the one hand I suppose they can in the literal sense but in the practical sense unless there is a planning policy reason for the objection then it will fail.

'I object because I don't like it' is not a valid objection - and a good job too!

TripleH

The other point is if/when the neighbours come to sell. They may find it a nightmare having queries to answer if they were naughty and broke the rules. As others have said, if it doesn't impact on you in any way, leave them to get on with it.

Supersonos

TELLIT01 said:

Report the situation to the council.  Only they have to power to stop the work.

I honestly don't mind their extension - doesn't impact us one bit - so I don't have any intention of reporting them.  Plus,  I'm aware any comment we make is public and I think neighbour relations are very important for a quiet life (something I think is wrong with planning laws, but that's for another day).

I was just intrigued as to what would happen.  Seems so odd that they're going ahead with (I would guess) £40k of work that they've applied for but not waited for the decision.  Very risky!

Supersonos

WeAreGhosts said:

You don't have to declare if you're reporting a planning breach. As they are confidential no one will know apart from the planning officer and the complainant. 

Is that true?  That's not what I understand.  And is this a planning breach?

Supersonos

TheProfessional said:

If it's invisible to everyone apart from your upstairs window I wonder why overdevelopment would be an issue. If it's single story it probably won't have a bedroom so houses no more people. If no-one can see it how does it change the character?

If it doesn't affect you at all such as light to the garden, drainage issues etc I would leave them to it?

It's a double height extension where they're putting in a bedroom, bathroom and dressing room with an office and store underneath.

Supersonos

Mickey666 said:

EchoLocation said:

Take it from me, an extension being considered 'over-development' by a parish council, is in no way guaranteed to be rejected by a county council at all. The question the OP really has to ask themselves is whether the fall out with their neighbour will be worth it.

Yes, being married to a parish councillor I know how little their planning views are taken into account.  That's not so much because the council simply ignore them out of hand but more because their usual objections are not actually valid in terms of the planning policies.

Many people seem to think that they can object to a planning application for any old reason.  Well, on the one hand I suppose they can in the literal sense but in the practical sense unless there is a planning policy reason for the objection then it will fail.

'I object because I don't like it' is not a valid objection - and a good job too!

The other neighbour's extension was rejected because it's a conservation area and the development didn't align with the council's "development plan" where only certain developments could happen within the area.  Increasing the footprint of a property isn't permitted, so I'm assuming this extension will also be rejected.

Again, I have no problem with it and don't intend on making any comment to them or the council, I'm simply intrigued as to what could happen.  Personally, I think they're idiots for pushing ahead.  Either don't apply, do the work and hope no-one notices, or apply and wait.  But to tell the council you want to do the work and then go ahead before a decision seems idiotic and potentially very expensive!

TELLIT01

What they are doing is certainly a risk, more so when adjoining properties have been refused permission.

Jeepers_Creepers

Supersonos said:

The other neighbour's extension was rejected because it's a conservation area and the development didn't align with the council's "development plan" where only certain developments could happen within the area.  Increasing the footprint of a property isn't permitted, so I'm assuming this extension will also be rejected.

Again, I have no problem with it and don't intend on making any comment to them or the council, I'm simply intrigued as to what could happen.  Personally, I think they're idiots for pushing ahead.  Either don't apply, do the work and hope no-one notices, or apply and wait.  But to tell the council you want to do the work and then go ahead before a decision seems idiotic and potentially very expensive!

I agree - they are being very foolish. And if another neighb - with a similarish proposed extension - had theirs rejected by the council, then they must know the odds are against them.

It's good that their plans don't impinge on you at all, as that removes the most tricky aspect; you'd be in a dilemma as to why you'd bring it to the LA's attention.

I presume, when they first submitted for PP, the neighbs were informed - and you didn't make any objection then? In which case, I suspect I'd do as you are thinking - nothing.

As to what would Planning do if they knew about it? I suspect - very strongly - they'd put a stop to it. This is a conservation area and Planning has seemingly made this clear by rejecting previous proposals; they'd be leaving themselves open to all sorts of allegations if they let one slip through even if they knew about it. What's more, it would make it very hard to refuse others.

However, local 'development plans' can - and often do - vary from year to year depending on changes to the local demographic, so sometimes approvals can seem inconsistent.

At the end of the day, Planning departments are populated by human beings, not computers. I think everyone on here knows they can be swayed by arguments and circumstance, emotive or otherwise. Who hasn't heard of the "I'll submit a crazy proposal first, and then - when they reject it - I'll change it to the already ambitious plan I had in mind all along..." scenario? If this plan would normally be rejected, I suspect it'll be slightly less so if the work had began. And, when the neighb puts in their appeal, one of the factors they'll cite is "No-one in the locality objected...", and I think that'll help them. Ultimately it'll come down to Planning, and whether they'll act. But such subtleties do have an input.

clive0510

if, as you say in your o/p, the neighbours on the other side were not allowed there extension, then surely this one shouldn't be. so it really needs to be reported IMO. 

Supersonos

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Supersonos said:

The other neighbour's extension was rejected because it's a conservation area and the development didn't align with the council's "development plan" where only certain developments could happen within the area.  Increasing the footprint of a property isn't permitted, so I'm assuming this extension will also be rejected.

Again, I have no problem with it and don't intend on making any comment to them or the council, I'm simply intrigued as to what could happen.  Personally, I think they're idiots for pushing ahead.  Either don't apply, do the work and hope no-one notices, or apply and wait.  But to tell the council you want to do the work and then go ahead before a decision seems idiotic and potentially very expensive!

I presume, when they first submitted for PP, the neighbs were informed - and you didn't make any objection then? In which case, I suspect I'd do as you are thinking - nothing.

We haven't been informed by anyone and neither have the neighbours on the other side (who we're very friendly with and have enjoyed gossiping about it!).  Noticed the work and wondered what they were doing, so went onto the council's planning portal and found the details on there.