Neighbours Extension - Planning Permission advice

homi

Can anyone please give me some advise my aunt received an letter last week from the council saying that the neighbour has asked  for planning permission ( prior approval ) to extend on the back of their property . 

It is the size of the extension which is an concern , it is a mid terrace ex council house but the application is for 
 - 6 metre deep - height 3.8 , eaves 2.8m single storey extension which will block my aunts light coming into the kitchen and also her privacy in her garden . 

She  has till the 2nd of Feb to submit her comments , the neighbour has not mentioned anything and she does not want to fall out with them but also at the same time does not want it to affect her property / life .

There are no other properties on the road with an extension as big as the one they have proposed. 

Any help or insight would be appreciated . 

grumbler

How does this affect her privacy if, most likely, there are no side windows?

Doozergirl

I can't imagine how a single storey extension can possibly affect anyone's privacy, but if she feels that it will block light then that is a valid reason to reply and object to it.  

If she doesn't want to fall out with the neighbours then she needs to word her reply diplomatically, as they are available for everyone to see. 

Something along the lines of 'because we live in terraced houses and there are no other extensions of this size in the street, I would appreciate it if the planning officer would assess the impact on the light into my kitchen which faces in x direction as I have some worries' is probably good enough.  

You can't influence a planning officer's decision, but as this is prior notification under PD it will be approved if she doesn't say anything.  So you need to ask for it to be assessed.  They'll make a balanced decision without any need for your aunt to rant about it.  

GDB2222

https://www.richmond.gov.uk/what_is_a_valid_objection_to_a_planning_application

Maybe this helps?

TELLIT01

As Doozergirl indicates, the 'right to light' is mostly likely to be a valid objection.

GDB2222

I objected recently about a neighbour’s planning application. One of the things I mentioned was overlooking, and I requested obscure glass in the new windows. Their neighbour on the other side didn’t object.

When the PP was granted, it specified obscure glass in the new windows on the side facing me, but not on the side facing the other neighbour!

homi

Doozergirl said:

I can't imagine how a single storey extension can possibly affect anyone's privacy, but if she feels that it will block light then that is a valid reason to reply and object to it.  

If she doesn't want to fall out with the neighbours then she needs to word her reply diplomatically, as they are available for everyone to see. 

Something along the lines of 'because we live in terraced houses and there are no other extensions of this size in the street, I would appreciate it if the planning officer would assess the impact on the light into my kitchen which faces in x direction as I have some worries' is probably good enough.  

You can't influence a planning officer's decision, but as this is prior notification under PD it will be approved if she doesn't say anything.  So you need to ask for it to be assessed.  They'll make a balanced decision without any need for your aunt to rant about it.  

Thanks  , the issue with the privacy is due to if the install an window in the side of the extension which would look straight into my aunts kitchen / back door  .

Will have a word with the neighbour myself when I get  a chance ( they speak to my aunt everyday and never mentioned anything)  , it is just the length of the extension at 6 metres which is about 75% of the current length of the whole house which is a concern . 

grumbler

Object against the window and tell them that you don't mind if it's obscure and non-opening.

homi

grumbler said:

Object against the window and tell them that you don't mind if it's obscure and non-opening.

Thanks will have a word but on the current plans it only shows a 6 x 3 metre red box on the back of the house no mention of door openings - extractors or windows - 

Bendy_House

Almost certainly Planning will automatically outlaw any clear-glass opening window above ground floor height (they seem to permit ground floor windows, tho's, presumably because they can simply be screened off with a standard 2m fence if needed?), but you should certainly make sure that this is the case with them.

theonlywayisup

homi said:

grumbler said:

Object against the window and tell them that you don't mind if it's obscure and non-opening.

Thanks will have a word but on the current plans it only shows a 6 x 3 metre red box on the back of the house no mention of door openings - extractors or windows - 

The portal should have the elevations and plan view.