Who can view house-plans ?

[mointainwalker]

Just a question to satisfy my curiosity.

Here in France I can go to the town-hall and ask to view any plan I like to see the planned lay-out of anybody's house. The first time I did this I was very surprised because I imagined there would be privacy restraints etc.

What is the situation in the U.K. ?

 

[mattylad]

AFAIK If there is a planing application we can generally see the plans online.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Aye, if its a recent application they will be online, otherwise they'll be in the depths of the council archives (at least that's what they'd say) and it's a pain in the rear end to try and get access. But you do have the right to view them.

 

[RedHerring2]

I'm assuming it's the same all over France, Mountainman, but in Brittany all building work, requiring an application or declaration, has to have a notice displayed on the outside, giving appropriate information, including the reference number of the application/declaration.
I understand that this is so any interested parties can check that the work is progressing in accordance with the application/declaration.

For others info: a declaration is when an application/inspection is not neccesary.
I suppose a similar equivalent is PD. Although major restoration/repairs need a declaration.