Planning application questions

[Mw Roofline]

My new neighbour-to-be has told me he has written in to the council and commented on my current planning application to build an extension to a house we've bought.

As i've never done this before (still in my first house), can the planning authority still give the go ahead even though he has complained? The neighbour the other side is fine and he actually welcomes the work saying it will improve the house dramatically.

Neighbour in question is saying he will loose the light through his side lean-to polycarbonate roof (which is opaque and not clear) and that when they are in their garden sitting at their table and chairs, we will be able to stare at them out of our bedroom window. (He is in a bungalow, ours is a house.) There are no windows to the side of his house anywhere to look out at our new extension.

Personally, I think he is being a bit fussy and a bit of a PITA. Nice chap but a bit of a interferer. The only way we can stare at him through the bedroom window is if we were to lean our heads out and creak our necks to the right.

I'd ask my architect but he is abroad for 2 weeks so thought i'd ask you guys as its worring me a little. I've tried to look on the council website but can't seem to find what he has said.

Also, lets say the council agree with his comments and take his side. When the 20th June dealine comes, will they say "Yes you can build but reduce the bedroom by 2 metres" or will I have to re-submit the whole application again?

It's a very fussy area btw, woodland at the rear, golf course at the front but there has been quite a bit of development two and three doors down which is now finished.

 

[DevilDamo]

To be honest, it doesn't really matter because the LPA will take a view on it to see whether the comment has any ground. Similar to if a neighbour somewhere else complains that would not be affected by the proposals and would complain. The planning officer would just write it off.

In some situations, the LPA could ask you to reduce the size of the extension before a formal decision is made, which would influence the approval. I've had that situation before where a neighbour complained and the LPA asked us to reduce the extension by 1m, so we did that and it received approval.

I assume your architect has designed the extension taking into account outlook, amenity, privacy and daylight, which is usually a planning guidance document?

Btw, can you not find your application here...

http://eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/GeneralSearch.aspx

If you can find the application, but not any objections then maybe the LPA are yet to scan them and make them publically viewable? You could always speak to the LPA and ask the question and ask if the objection would influence the decision of the application.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

In my experience you can never interpret how neighbours comments will be considered by the Planning officer. I've had jobs where the neighbours concerns have been completely ignored but I had one job recently where, whilst the Planning officer strongly objected (he told me so in not so many words) he knocked on the doors of the immediate neighbours who both supported it and decided to grant it anyway!

Generally I find most officers are very cagey until about the day before when it is realistically too late to do anything about it. Had a job once though where the officer rang me after a week and told me to withdraw it as it had no chance whatsoever!

If you need to make alterations after an application you can re-submit it under the same fee although your designer may charge some more for making a new app.

To conclude, Planning Applications outcomes can be very hard to predict!

 

[DevilDamo]

And if your application is refused, your LPA can give you a "free go" providing the re-design is similar and not dramatically different, which would then warrant a complete new application/fee.

 

[Mw Roofline]

Well I never, permission granted!

 

[Richard C]

Well I never, permission granted!

Congrats; thing about neighbour objections is not to take it personally; I had objections from all sides with what I had planned here on my own property 6 years ago, including the then chair of the Parish Council & all I did was check the rules & make a few changes to get around most of the objections. I still had to go to full committee but none of the objectors turned up & it was waved through; only one neighbour hasn’t spoken to me since & he’s now our local Cons councilor!

 

[DevilDamo]

Happy days

 

[rajk]

Good stuff - my plans got approved last week and both neighbours complained!! One of the neighbours wrote a 3 page letter of issues....most of it was funny in a strange way.... I think some neighbours try to act as planning officers.