debris in road

[Steve]

One of our neighbours is making himself VERY unpopular recently. About 5 years ago, he bought a corner house on our street. Since then, he has put about 3 extensions on it (re-roofing it twice - TWICE - as a consequence), walled in the corner plot garden, and built a detached garage about 2 feet from the house Oh, and when he had to take the scaffolding down, he just loosened the bolts slightly and jumped on it to take it down.

Everyone doubts very much that he actually obtained planning permission for any of this, due to the nature of the extensions - adding about 100% to the house's volume (3 bed semi) AND sticking out from the "building line" - the fronts of the houses on BOTH streets. Nobody dares approach him, due to his appearance - Grant Mitchell, thats who he reminds me of. He drives a big 4wd pickup truck thing, and also has a big green VW transporter.

But anyway, i digress, i think you get the kind of person he is. He has a bunch of roofing tiles on the boundary wall of his house, pile of them, just sat there. Someone, the other night, decided to throw them all over the road. Very nice of them. But the rubble from these tiles is STILL THERE! Whose responsibility is it to clear this up and stop people damaging their tyres? Grant's? the council's? nobody's? mine???? The wierd thing is, this guy has FRIENDS! yes, i saw him in the PUB talking to people!

 

[big-all]

mmmmmm sounds like the first person to complain to him may get the blame weither they done it or not and possibly the blame for all future hassle

have you thought about phoning the councils highway department anonomusly

keeping in mind unless your two faced and suck up to him your quite likely to get the blame being a neibour

and the fact his property has been left on the road by someone else dosnt stop it being his property

 

[pickles]

It's the councils responsibility to keep the road clear and sort out planning and building reg infringements. Sounds like both here. Write or phone and complain, they won't usually disclose the source of the complaint, but you could do it anonymously if your worried

Most LA's, except the small ones, have an on line service which you can use to check current planning. Have a look and see what he has done. Some of it may be permitted development which is building regs only but by the sound of it he would have needed planning of rsome of it

if it's less than 6 months since the work the LA can enforce a building reg breach as a criminal offence, after that it's a civil offence up to a year when they loose their enforcement powers unless it's a dangerous structure so if you want to complain you shoudn't hang about

LA have 4 years to enforce failure to get planning and 10 years to enforce a breach of any conditions attached to a planning consent

 

[BoDon]

Get to know the poor man, he's probably feeling insecure.
Haven't you tried talking to your neighbour....in 5 years?, even at the pub? get a few pints down you and introduce yourself. It sounds like he knows what he's doing on the building front, you never know he might even offer to build you an extension on the cheap!.
Failing that just go to the pub anyway, and get a few pints down ya, his house might not look too bad on your return...

 

[Steve]

funnily enough, i just stumbled upon doncaster council's website and they have a map function that shows red dots on properties that have recently applied for planning or that have had planning approved. It appears "grant" did get permission for a 2-storey pitched roof extension but it doesnt mention the garage or the walls around his property . . . are these usually notifiable to the planning office? The garage is a brick, single car affair, pitched roof, roof level about 4-5m, built right on the property line with his next door neighbour. Walls are pierred with wooden fence panel inserts. I just dont like him lol! most of the people on the street dont like him either!!

 

[pickles]

it doesnt mention the garage or the walls around his property . . . are these usually notifiable to the planning office?

what did he build first the garage or the extension

 

[Steve]

it doesnt mention the garage or the walls around his property . . . are these usually notifiable to the planning office?

what did he build first the garage or the extension

now then . . . dont ask such hard questions . . . . He built half of the extension (one room on top of the other, finishing the roof), then the garage, then the other half of the extension (having to rip off the roof AGAIN) over the space of about 18 months

I know in parts of greece (i heard this in Zakynthos) they have a "finished buildings tax" and to avoid this they usually leave off the final floor of any building (and apply to build one too many of course). They have a lot of buildings with a flight of steps that go nowhere . . .

. . . But i was thinking, this guy seems to be reluctant to finish his work, because he STILL has no gutters on his house or garage at all! The last thing he did to the house was about 6 months ago now. There isnt a "finished buildings tax" here is there?

 

[DDoyle]

With respect Crafty I think your being slightly ignorant here. You don't like the Guy because what..Oh he looks like some fella from some rubbish program on the telly...listen to how childish and foolhardy that sounds.

I would suggest, as has been above, that you take the time to get to know the man instead of judging on appearance, making assumptions about him without knowing facts and making yourself sound like a whining old fart, which I am sure your not.

It is this attitude toward neighbours that is causing so many problems in this country today, I live in a small road, I have done for 23 years and the newest neighbour moved in about 6 years back, as a group we made them feel welcome and often go to the pub as a large group and have barbies in the summer etc..

If you make the ffort, you may be surprised to find he is nicer than your other neighbours..or simply a decent chap. If you do find him to be an arse, then at least you have the satisfaction of knowing you tried.

 

[Steve]

He lives on the other side of the road, about 8 houses down, he has a reputation of violence towards his wife (and anyone else who gets in the way), and drives like a madman. I neglected to say this earlier lol! This is why I dont want to get to know him, and this is why nobody likes him!

 

[DDoyle]

He lives on the other side of the road, about 8 houses down, he has a reputation of violence towards his wife (and anyone else who gets in the way), and drives like a madman. I neglected to say this earlier lol! This is why I dont want to get to know him, and this is why nobody likes him!

Is this rumour or fact about wife beating and other people?

 

[BoDon]

I just moved into my street just before the festive season, posted everyone a greetings card, never got a lot back mind you. .. but hey, it's all about giving. anyway finishing work for the day and going to ny 'local-down the road' Pub after i drop the car off.... I'd best be on my guard and 'not get in anyone's way' you never know who i might bump into.... maybe a nieghbour

 

[pickles]

it doesnt mention the garage or the walls around his property . . . are these usually notifiable to the planning office?

what did he build first the garage or the extension

now then . . . dont ask such hard questions . . . . He built half of the extension (one room on top of the other, finishing the roof), then the garage, then the other half of the extension (having to rip off the roof AGAIN) over the space of about 18 months

Bizzare.

I asked because he would have had some permitted development which he could use up before he had to get planning so what he had to notify would have depended partly on what he did first. This is too complicated to work it out. You could go to the planning department and pull the file, you are entitled to see it, and see what he's done. It will include any letters from him or objections from neighbours. Likewise with building control which is usually a separate department

His neighbours, ie the people right next door and possibly over the road should have had written notice of his planning applications so you could make some discrete enquiries

It sounds like he's not been ignoring the law so there's probably not much you can do except keep out of his way. People like that often have unstable lifestyles and disappear so you could just try and sit him out

 

[nstreet]

Some councils post the planning applications and thier status on their websites, not always obvious where, so do a search on planning permission and the name of your area. Its quite surprising what turns up sometimes.

Where we live the council post planning permission applications on the lamp posts adjacent to the property for which it has been submitted. These normally go up weeks before the permission is granted to allow for objections.

Anon phone call to the council would be the best route.

Wouldn't it be funny if he was a contributer on this site.

 

[B.O.B DOLE]

debris in the road you wanna see the debris on the pathment where i live
felt sorry for this women in a wheelchair tho she was in the bussy main shopping street and she ran over a dog turd in her wheelchair all the wheel was full of it and at the brakes at the top was caked up and she was trying to clean it of whith a handcachief. And quese what not a sole tryed to help her.

 

[paulbrown]

Sounds to me like some people in your street may have other issues with this guy. He is probably an hardworking bloke who is just trying to improve his lot. Do you think any neighbours may be jealous and are simply trouble causing?

The comments about his wife are a point in fact, have you personally ever seen his wife abused or any injuries which were caused by him?

The LA issues etc are easily checked, but I would keep right out of the private matters myself. Someone may be making bullets for you to fire.