Buying a house near to a council building - advice

guitaruser

We are hoping to buy a house which is very close to a council run old peoples home.

Can anyone tell me the best way to find out if it will remain an old peoples home, and not turn into a young offenders or drug rehab or something else.

Ita right in the middle of a residential area so myn instinct tells me they wouldnt change it into anything thats going to upset lots of homeowners.

Thanks

Happy_saver_4

The local Council/planning office should be able to tell you whether there is any existing applications for change of use or whether any previous applications have been refused.

Unfortunately there is nothing certain regarding the future. Some people have bought houses overlooking 'green belt' now their property overlooks a new housing development. Things change.

Bossyboots

See if there is anything here http://www.ukplanning.com.

I agree with Happy_Saver. My friend bought a house in a residential area, next to an old church. There was a small business running in the buildings at the back of the church but apart from the occasional problem with the alarm at night all was fine.

The company moved out and in went plans for conversion to a block of flats specifically destined to house students from the local university. If you look in our local paper, you would know why that was a devasting blow as during term time many of those students are making local life a misery with their antics. Fortunately, that plan appears to have been rejected as there are new plans for something less intrusive now in but there was no way of her knowing when she bought the house, that this would happen.

On another gloomy note, our local council have closed 8 old peoples homes in the last 10 years and all have become blocks of flats.

guitaruser

Thanks.............so I can just contact the local council direct and they will be able to help?

As for the flats I dont fancy fifteen or so rooms overlooking my back garden!

Bossyboots

If you go to the link I posted, that has planning applications from numerous local councils. This is a sub contracted site. Firstly see if the local authority for the area you want to buy in is one of those mentioned. Click that local authority if it is there, work through the screens to the street you are interested in. You will then not only have details of what planning permission has been applied for but copies of the application forms, site maps and plans to boot.

I use this site a lot and the most recent time, was to help my friend whose next door neighbour had put in planning permission. When we checked the plans, we realised he was going to be building right next to their bedroom window with a window in the side of his extension which would have looked right through. They objected and the plans have been thrown out.

guitaruser

Thanks............. but my local council is not listed on that site