HOW TO STOP THEM BUILDING FLATS BEHIND MY HOUSE?
Discussion
Help!
Just got a letter from the council saying that somebody house applied for planning permission for a new building behind my house. They want to demolish a 2/3 story social club from 1900's, and replace it with a 3/4/5 story block of flats. These will look right into my bedroom. Its also a conservation area. I know I need to send a rejection letter to the council but I wondered if any legal/planning bods could give me advice on:
- What to focus my arguments on - what are the best legal grounds? Assume light, aspect, privacy, keeping with look and feel of area?
- Should I engage a solicitor?
- Whats the best way to get this rejected? Should I lobby local councillors?
Thanks!!!!
Just got a letter from the council saying that somebody house applied for planning permission for a new building behind my house. They want to demolish a 2/3 story social club from 1900's, and replace it with a 3/4/5 story block of flats. These will look right into my bedroom. Its also a conservation area. I know I need to send a rejection letter to the council but I wondered if any legal/planning bods could give me advice on:
- What to focus my arguments on - what are the best legal grounds? Assume light, aspect, privacy, keeping with look and feel of area?
- Should I engage a solicitor?
- Whats the best way to get this rejected? Should I lobby local councillors?
Thanks!!!!
from meIf it is a conservastion area then I would think they have two chances. Slim and none tbh. but then surely they would have known that before having the plans drawn up?
Have a word with your local councillor. Who, if you're lucky, might live on the same road (as mine used to). Very handy.
Have a word with your local councillor. Who, if you're lucky, might live on the same road (as mine used to). Very handy.
I have some recent experience of fighting an application for a development.
I suggest you contact all your neighbours and get at least a total of 10 letters of objection.
If > 10 letters are sent -then the council MUST by law have a full meeting / review of the application even if the Planning Officer recommends for approval , if less than 10 - the application does not necessarily need a review - and could be passed on recommendation from the planning officer.
reasonable grounds for objection include overlooking into your rear garden / loss of privacy , parking problems , development out of keeping with the area , development too large scale for the plot.
loss of value to your property is not deemed relevant. the council can provide you with a list of criteria - and if you talk to the planning officers they are often helpful.
I suggest you contact all your neighbours and get at least a total of 10 letters of objection.
If > 10 letters are sent -then the council MUST by law have a full meeting / review of the application even if the Planning Officer recommends for approval , if less than 10 - the application does not necessarily need a review - and could be passed on recommendation from the planning officer.
reasonable grounds for objection include overlooking into your rear garden / loss of privacy , parking problems , development out of keeping with the area , development too large scale for the plot.
loss of value to your property is not deemed relevant. the council can provide you with a list of criteria - and if you talk to the planning officers they are often helpful.
alfaman said:
I have some recent experience of fighting an application for a development.
I suggest you contact all your neighbours and get at least a total of 10 letters of objection.
If > 10 letters are sent -then the council MUST by law have a full meeting / review of the application even if the Planning Officer recommends for approval , if less than 10 - the application does not necessarily need a review - and could be passed on recommendation from the planning officer.
reasonable grounds for objection include overlooking into your rear garden / loss of privacy , parking problems , development out of keeping with the area , development too large scale for the plot.
loss of value to your property is not deemed relevant. the council can provide you with a list of criteria - and if you talk to the planning officers they are often helpful.
Spot on, but let me also add:I suggest you contact all your neighbours and get at least a total of 10 letters of objection.
If > 10 letters are sent -then the council MUST by law have a full meeting / review of the application even if the Planning Officer recommends for approval , if less than 10 - the application does not necessarily need a review - and could be passed on recommendation from the planning officer.
reasonable grounds for objection include overlooking into your rear garden / loss of privacy , parking problems , development out of keeping with the area , development too large scale for the plot.
loss of value to your property is not deemed relevant. the council can provide you with a list of criteria - and if you talk to the planning officers they are often helpful.
- Inadequate parking provision
- Site access - who owns it
- S106 payments - They will need to pay to local services
- Does the local area have enough green space? If this is a loss of any green space, then it is a valud argument (but not on it's own)
If it does get approved, then watch the build very carefully as any deviation will have to be subject to a new permission. (6 months ago a local developer who is building a hotel with parking spaces forgot to put them in and then applied for planning. The build was only at foundation stage, but has been stopped for months... I also took photo's of the site and alerted the council to H&S practices
The more letters the council get, the better. Around me there are 4 developments and I support 2, but have objected to 2. The first one I objected to was the hotel which was passed and is now stopped, the second one a conversion into flats has failed 2x so far (I do support the site being used, but it will be over-developed)
The being overlooked is a big one, so play on everything you can.
T-J-K
The jiffle king said:
alfaman said:
I have some recent experience of fighting an application for a development.
I suggest you contact all your neighbours and get at least a total of 10 letters of objection.
If > 10 letters are sent -then the council MUST by law have a full meeting / review of the application even if the Planning Officer recommends for approval , if less than 10 - the application does not necessarily need a review - and could be passed on recommendation from the planning officer.
reasonable grounds for objection include overlooking into your rear garden / loss of privacy , parking problems , development out of keeping with the area , development too large scale for the plot.
loss of value to your property is not deemed relevant. the council can provide you with a list of criteria - and if you talk to the planning officers they are often helpful.
Spot on, but let me also add:I suggest you contact all your neighbours and get at least a total of 10 letters of objection.
If > 10 letters are sent -then the council MUST by law have a full meeting / review of the application even if the Planning Officer recommends for approval , if less than 10 - the application does not necessarily need a review - and could be passed on recommendation from the planning officer.
reasonable grounds for objection include overlooking into your rear garden / loss of privacy , parking problems , development out of keeping with the area , development too large scale for the plot.
loss of value to your property is not deemed relevant. the council can provide you with a list of criteria - and if you talk to the planning officers they are often helpful.
- Inadequate parking provision
- Site access - who owns it
- S106 payments - They will need to pay to local services
- Does the local area have enough green space? If this is a loss of any green space, then it is a valud argument (but not on it's own)
If it does get approved, then watch the build very carefully as any deviation will have to be subject to a new permission. (6 months ago a local developer who is building a hotel with parking spaces forgot to put them in and then applied for planning. The build was only at foundation stage, but has been stopped for months... I also took photo's of the site and alerted the council to H&S practices
The more letters the council get, the better. Around me there are 4 developments and I support 2, but have objected to 2. The first one I objected to was the hotel which was passed and is now stopped, the second one a conversion into flats has failed 2x so far (I do support the site being used, but it will be over-developed)
The being overlooked is a big one, so play on everything you can.
T-J-K
the development I was fighting was a neighbours 3 story house:
neighbour had put in application for 2 story house: approved
neighbour then put in amendment for 3rd story : rejected
neighbour then built 3rd story anyway - but within roofline of existing dwelling - with windows overlooking neighbours.
neighbour also built other add-ons not on the approved plans - the builders were working to different plans to those signed off by the council.
All of us in the area got involved fighting this as the owner was basically building what he wanted regardless of what had been approved - even after the council advised him to stop work !!
he then put in for retrospective planning approval - THIS WAS GRANTED!!
The lesson here is that in South Bucks you can basically build what the f
k you like ( and a few of us thought there may have been some envelopes exchanged with council officals / planners )- the house developmetn doubled the size of the house and completely paved over the large front garden to give enough parking for about 8 cars and multiple generations / households 
I would suggest that you need to look on your local council's planning website. It is different by local authority, so I cannot really help. You can also phone the planning officer if you want, they can only tell you to get lost.
I have spoken at the council meeting once against a development (I lost) but it was threraputic to give my POV.
There are many regulations, you might also want to look at any Govt Regs as things do change.
Ask the streetcare people/Transport at the council what they think. If any trees might be taken down or potentially damaged, ask the tree person (arbo..) to review the site before they get taken down
T-J-K
I have spoken at the council meeting once against a development (I lost) but it was threraputic to give my POV.
There are many regulations, you might also want to look at any Govt Regs as things do change.
Ask the streetcare people/Transport at the council what they think. If any trees might be taken down or potentially damaged, ask the tree person (arbo..) to review the site before they get taken down
T-J-K
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