Planning issue

[Guest]

I noticed some building work taking place in the garden of the house that backs onto the bottom of my garden

thought nothing of it at the time, and assumed it was an extension.

 

Gradually it got bigger and bigger and I realized it was a new house, in-between two old ones.

 

I checked the council planning website and read all the documents and plans that had been uploaded.

 

Not one of them mentioned any impact to my house or my neighbours,

even though it’s being built directly in front of us and we can see straight through the windows.

Only their direct neighbours were detailed and told about it.

Is that normal?

 

Also,

the street plans used to approve this building had my house erased from it (it was built about 7 years ago).

I suspect this is either incompetence or done purposely to get approval.

 

 

Surely councils and planning departments use up to date documents when making plans?

If they surveyed the area, how could they have missed an extra house?

 

Is there anything I can do since it is nearly finished?

I emailed the council last month and have had no reply.

I am not against new builds; it just feels a bit underhand.

 

Thanks

[mariner51]

How do you know your Property was granted Planning Permission?

Have you accessed Land Registry for Deeds/site plan?

Normally only imm adjacent (L&R) neighbours can contest.

[ericsbrother]

reiterate- does it have PP?

if so little can be done despite you not being informed.

 

The law about who gets told as of right is a bit odd,

neighbours backing on to a property dont

but someone in the same street half a mile away may have to.

[Guest]

How do you know your Property was granted Planning Permission?

Have you accessed Land Registry for Deeds/site plan?

Normally only imm adjacent (L&R) neighbours can contest.

 

Because the council planning website said it was approved,

but as I said it was approved even though they used old/edited documents.

 

Would I find anything different from the Land Registry?

[Ethel Street]

Land Registry don't hold planning decisions. They are with the local council.

[ericsbrother]

it has planning. Then that is that unless they have built the house in the wrong place or it is massively different to the plans. Even then they will usually be asked to submit a retrospective change rather than be told to stop.

[sgtbush]

Get planning permission to erect a 30 foot fence at the bottom of your garden or failing that plant conifers.... They grow and you dont need planning permission.

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

Thinking about it conifers would be good. Depending on orientation of the new build, they could be in shadow most of the day... Reduced light, garden in shadow, moss grows, always cold as no direct sunlight etc etc

[ericsbrother]

A problem that sometimes occurs with new developments is that Japanese Knotweed gets imported in topsoil and once it is there no insurer will touch the place and if the idea is that they are selling that house then they could be left with a white elephant. Obviously any sign of Japansese Knotweed should be reported to the council as an environmental problem as soon as you think you have seen it and they will have to get experts in to remove it at great expense. Easter time will be when it starts to rear its ugly head, the same time as estate agents come out of hibernation.

Then plant your trees if the sun movement permits

[Ethel Street]

... or failing that plant conifers.... They grow and you dont need planning permission.

 

 

Thinking about it conifers would be good. Depending on orientation of the new build, they could be in shadow most of the day... Reduced light, garden in shadow, moss grows, always cold as no direct sunlight etc etc

 

Although since 2003 there are legal powers that can be used to compel you to keep your conifer hedge below a certain height if it is restricting light to a neighbour's garden excessively

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/9408/hedgeheight.pdf

[ericsbrother]

but other plants hate the acid soil they create and they also suck up moisture. Also, when is a hedge not a hedge and just trees? if the frontage is big enough then you can space out the trees behind a 6 foot fence so they arent covered by the law but have the necessary effect as the spacing is measured at above ground level, not in the canopy.

[sgtbush]

Although since 2003 there are legal powers that can be used to compel you to keep your conifer hedge below a certain height if it is restricting light to a neighbour's garden excessively

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/9408/hedgeheight.pdf

 

 

Plant trees then.

Simple

[Ethel Street]

I think much of the advice being given to greyhat is spiteful and vindictive. If a family buys this new house why they should they suffer all the things suggested on here just because greyhat didn't know it had planning permission? That's not their fault! Why is it good advice that innocent purchasers should suffer "Reduced light, garden in shadow, moss grows, always cold as no direct sunlight etc etc", their soil acidified and the moisture sucked out of it?

 

If someone actually did all those things and the new owners came here asking for advice would you tell them tough luck, it was their own fault for buying the house?

[ericsbrother]

my comments were not meant to cause harm to the purchaser but to make the place unsellable in the first place so the developer ends up with a white elephant as said.

Indeed caveat emptor with a new house, that is why you pay someone money to look into these things.

If the govt wnats to lok at legislation regarding garden grabber carpetbaggers then no-one will be sorry but until then....