Half built dwelling on neighbouring land

[Blaze1]

We moved to an old cottage with a few acres last year in a tiny hamlet of 11 properties all of which are Grade II listed as the area is of historical significance. Getting planning to do anything here is very difficult. The piece of land next to mine has a half built single storey structure built several years ago tucked away behind a wall at the back of the plot that we thought was originally being built for storage for hay/animal feed etc. However on closer inspection the building has a cavity wall and is connected to the drains. There has been a lot of interest in this piece of land over the past few weeks with people walking across my land to have a good look at it and in particular the half built structure. One man told me because it's been up 7 years and the planning dept don't know about it it can stay now and be turned into a house?? The whole plot is a mass of brambles and completely overgrown now. I can't get the land owner to speak to me but it appears he may have it up for sale and it's attracting the interest of some pretty undesirable people. Any advice on what I should do. Should I bring it to the attention of the planning office that the structure is there?

 

[Tigercubrider]

can't do any harm to tell them.
the longer it's up the harder it will be to enforce, but doesn't a building have to be finished before the timing starts?

 

[tony1851]

It's actually 4 years for a building to be used as a dwelling, but of course it has to be used so cannot apply unless/until the building is complete and occupied.
But there is little that can be done under planning law to compel someone to complete a building. Maybe if it's derelict land, the councils' environmental dept could do something?

 

[Nakajo]

I seem to recall some case law is respect of something like this. Nice try, though.

 

[JohnD]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/farmer-who-built-castle-hidden-6800171

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-36445848

"The demolition of a mock Tudor castle that was built without planning permission has almost been completed.

Farmer Robert Fidler, who built the house in Salfords in the Surrey greenbelt and hid it behind hay bales for four years, was ordered to tear it down by 6 June or face jail.

Footage shows most of the castle has now been demolished."