Flat Conversions without permissions

[frank999]

All around us here are houses converted into flats without planning permission (and I assume BC approvals) ... are they all hoping to get to the 4 year point and apply for retrospective/Lawful certs ??

How does this happen, the flat addresses appear on the councils very own voters roll, utilities get supplied as split services, and they have separate doors and a 'flat number'.

And most bizarrely they even have separate leases and it appears a conveyancing solicitor has managed the sale (where they have been sold) ... you can see that on the Land Registry or sites such as Zoopla. How an earth does that all work with Deeds and other legal documents.

They start out illegal, but if they get to 4 years of use (and demostrate use as separate dwellings - ie flats) - then they can become legal and legit by simply applying to the council ... and as they have been occupied BC requirements get waived.

What do the owners of these properties know - that we don't ... it seems a huge risk to take, the cost of conversion not being a small sum, and it takes just one complaint and the council is under duty to investigate - and I assume take action to restore the property back to a single family dwelling unit ...

 

[^woody^]

Why don't you notify the council about all of these?

 

[Nakajo]

You regularly see fines issued for this sort of breach - one recent one was for something like £1.5 million, so now maybe you know something they don't !

 

[frank999]

It was a planning officer from the council itself that told me the flats did not have planning permission ... ! I guess the council here are just too busy and stretched to actually do anything about it ...

 

[tony1851]

If it's a change of use from a house to flats, the 10-year rule applies.

 

[^woody^]

It was a planning officer from the council itself that told me the flats did not have planning permission

Why don't you tell the council about all these, and then ask the specific question of what they are going to do. Also ask them to keep you informed on the progress of your complaint and the action they are taking, and reasons why they are not taking any action if that is what they decide. They are obligated to tell you.

 

[frank999]

Ahh yes - its 10 years, as its change of use.

I am not going to say anything, the present owners are not the ones who did the 'off the book' splitting, and I assume will have bought in good faith, it has been 10 years any way since the split - they have pocketed the money and are long gone.
I guess all the present owners have to do is make an application for a Lawful Cert.

 

[Nakajo]

So what they know, that you don't, is that people like you tend to do nothing about it

 

[frank999]

Yes, good answer, but I think that applies to the previous owners, I moved here 15 years after the flats were converted, so how could the previous owners sit here and do nothing about it ... I suspect ignorance of planning procedures and laws could be one reason.