Waiting Six months plus for planning permission?

JIL

Just wondered if anyone could provide any advice please.

Last November we applied for planning permission for a bedroom above our garage, it's not an additional bedroom, just extends the very small box room and makes it into the master bedroom.

Neighbours were consulted and the time to object was the middle of February. But nothing has happened since. There were no objections.

We have tried to phone planning, they don't answer their calls. We have emailed. They don't answer. We got in touch with a local councillor who had ten similar cases. He managed to get the head of planning to respond, 4 weeks ago, there was an apology and the reason given as to the delay was the planning officer no longer worked there, so someone else would now deal with the outstanding cases. Including ours. No names, and no time line.

Despite us trying to contact, there is nothing updated on the portal, nothing has changed since February.

We are at a loss as to what we can do, should it really take this long? Any advice would be appreciated.

HHarry

Ours took 16 weeks rather than 8. The only explanation I ever got was that they were understaffed and very busy.

After 8 weeks you can escalate to the Planning Inspectorate - but that comes with a delay as well. And I think the Council stop dealing with it at that point, so it’s a real gamble.

So no good options I’m afraid for a a quick resolution. I’d suggest making a nuisance of yourself, but that just takes up time that the Council could spend assessing applications

JIL

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82053998#Comment_82053998

Thank you. We are now up to 29 weeks and counting.

I can't even make a nuisance of myself, they don't answer calls or emails, from us or the architect.

It's not helping local businesses is it.

Thanks again for your time taken to reply.

Bigphil1474

I work for a council. We are still having to make cuts in services. My employer needs to save a further £40m this year. Unless you are in need of social services, you aren't a priority unfortunately. I would badger your Councillor again. Bear in mind that ultimately the councillors decide the council budget, if the councillor gets a load of complaints about delays in service, they might just pump a bit more money into that service.

JIL

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82054387#Comment_82054387

What is interesting is the architect says planning is being progressed in the next town, which is the same local authority. Indeed planning that went in a week after ours, has been approved and built and scaffolding down and we are still waiting for approval on a more simple build.

Thanks for your response, I will get back in touch with the councillor. I just find it very frustrating, that I can see it on the portal, but nothing has happened since February. It's not like planning permission is free either, I have paid £500 for this wait.

casper_gutman

This is so frustrating when you have plans ready and builders straining at the leash to get started!

Our planning permission was delayed repeatedly due to volume of casework, staffing issues etc. I think again it ended up taking about 24 weeks.

It was eventually resolved after I emailed the case officer very politely, recognising the service was under pressure but explaining that the delays were causing us lots of difficulties with builders etc. I said something like "please don't consider this as a complaint at this stage, just a polite enquiry as to the likely timescale for the decision". I received a response two days later to say the case officer had submitted the report recommending approval, so a kind/polite enquiry can get results. I wonder whether she was particularly motivated to deal with the application while there was still an opportunity to do so before it turned into a complaint, as nobody in the public sector enjoys the paperwork that goes along with complaints!

It's more difficult in your case because you don't have a name for the case officer, and maybe it's already gone beyond the point where this will help, but for others in a similar situation to ours I'd recommend trying a similar "polite enquiry, not a formal complaint at this stage" approach as a first attempt, if you can find a name to contact.

JIL

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82055676#Comment_82055676

Thanks so much. Yes it's very frustrating, as you say we are ready to go. I expected a delay, but didn't forsee over 6 months.

We had a planning officer on the original submission, she has since left. We do have the name of the person in charge of planning, who four weeks ago, wrote to us and the councillor to tell us it had now been passed to someone else, but no name, unfortunately.

We have written to the person in charge to ask for a timeline and name, as has the architect. But to date the only response we have had to over 15 emails and 6 phone calls is the one the councillor managed to obtain.

Such a shame that local businesses will also be suffering the effects.