Planning Help - care home being built at end of garden

[oj205]

Hi all,

After many years saving up, myself and my fiancé have just (August) bought our first house. It is perfect, but nothing grand and we bought it as we loved to country feel, the views and the south facing garden.

We are now slightly concerned as a planning application for a 3 storey care home has been made for the unused land at the end of our garden. I fear that it is going to cast a shadow over our property as well as making our property overlooked by many flats.

I'm no expert but I want to object but need to make sure that it is done in the right way.

If you would like to see the plans they can be seen here:

http://wam.n-somerset.gov.uk/MULTIW...er=16/p/2433/o&appType=planning&action=Search

Any thoughts?

We feel extremely privelidged about having our first house, but fear that it will not only affect our day to day life, and also reduce the price of our house.

Many thanks,

Oli

 

[^woody^]

I'm not sure the overlooking argument will be valid. it looks like its set back enough and low enough.

Concentrate on the impact to the area, not on just your own place. You need to get together with other residents there.
Property value is not a planning issue, and you need to explain exactly how this will impact your life - I can't think of many valid things if it was my house. Real impact though, not just things you might not like.

There does not seem to be a lot of parking provision though. That's a planning issue.

 

[oj205]

Many thanks for your reply.

What I am unsure about is the height of the building as this may cast a shadow.

I believe that we can still object due to right to light?

Do you think it looks fairly sound planning? The parking is obviously an issues, as parking around us is already very hard.

Looking at the plan, do you think it would affect our view? Impact on the garden?

Thanks again.

Oli

 

[oj205]

We are 79 to the east of the plan

 

[^woody^]

There may be some late evening shade in spring and late autumn its hard to say. But generally the impact seems low at other times.

Try something like www.findmyshadow.com

Try and get actual dimensions for the proposal, and compare these if the thing gets built. These often magically get bigger when built

 

[GeoffJ]

I have looked into a few care homes in my area. What I notice is that follow a pattern.

The initial design is often just the start. They soon start adding extensions, out buildings, bin storage, and backup generators. Sometimes they build connected annexes on adjacent plots.

The operators can also get very devious - one added a storey to support HO administration. The use of this space then morphed into "consulting rooms" and so the lift shaft had to be extended, and those consulting rooms became patient bedrooms.

Parking can also be a big issue for local residents - particularly staff parking at times of shift change.

I mention this only to say - resist it now, because it can morph into something much bigger in an incremental way that is very difficult to stop later.

 

[eddieed]

I agree that you should try and resist this. It is never nice having someone trying to build behind you.

However - having looked at the design and access statement I also see that your property is a new development and there is a very long planning history on this site, I think you have been a bit naive in thinking that it would never be developed on - especially as it appears to be brownfield which is the preference for building land.

I think your only options would be scale but you need to go through the NPPF and find the valid reasons and also the Local Plan for objections. You can't just say we don't like it and it will overlook us - for an example their are guidlines for distances and this will meet those!

In fact having looked again I see the site has had Planning Permission since 2009 for an office block to be built - it hasn't been built as they can't fully let the other 2 on site. So you could have an office block behind you anyway - I would go with the care home I think as it looks like the office block would actually be closer to you than the care home is.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Another NIMBY.

 

[Nige F]

You could try for no/high level only windows overlooking your garden. You don't want toothless wizened faces peering at you and dribbling. That's what my grandchildren have to put up with, when playing in our garden

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You don't want toothless wizened faces peering at you and dribbling.

Maybe you shouldn't look at your grandchildren if it upsets them?

 

[Nakajo]

Sorry, FMT's a little slow on the uptake sometimes.