Planning permission required but work already done
Discussion
I have just got two letters from my local council advising me that the owner of the 4 bed house over the road from me wants to convert his Double garage into 2 self contained accomodation areas (small flats)
At the same time I got a similar letter saying that his next door neighbour wants to convert his single garage into a flat as well.
Both houses are owned by the same Guy and are used as communal housing for Indian (or similar) office / shop workers.
There are about a dozen people in each house :eeK: but they cause no problems to me. They do not drive or own cars and we all have drives anyway so parking is not compromised in any way.
But, the work he is applying for planning permission for, has already been done. It has been done quite professionally but without planning permission.
I have decided to rip up the letters I got from the council as I have no reason to complain.
What would you have done?
At the same time I got a similar letter saying that his next door neighbour wants to convert his single garage into a flat as well.
Both houses are owned by the same Guy and are used as communal housing for Indian (or similar) office / shop workers.
There are about a dozen people in each house :eeK: but they cause no problems to me. They do not drive or own cars and we all have drives anyway so parking is not compromised in any way.
But, the work he is applying for planning permission for, has already been done. It has been done quite professionally but without planning permission.
I have decided to rip up the letters I got from the council as I have no reason to complain.
What would you have done?
Planners (and I know 3 or 4), dont mind you phoneing up and asking simple questions. So you can always phone up and ask if they know he'd already done some extension work, and what their thoughts were about the work he's applying for.
Any planning thing comes through your door you want advise on, then phone them up for a chat about it.
(Having a chat does not mean your protesting against it. But it's best to know what the plans are so you can decide if you like them or not...)
Any planning thing comes through your door you want advise on, then phone them up for a chat about it.
(Having a chat does not mean your protesting against it. But it's best to know what the plans are so you can decide if you like them or not...)
Permission can be applied for retrospectively.
Often permission is granted with 'reserved matters' - meaning the planning department wants to make sure the buildings are completed in a particular way, or to ensure they can only be used in a particular manner. If the houses are acceptable to you (and it sounds like they are) then you did the right thing. If there is some concern that they might be split up, or there might be access problems in future if everyone gets cars, then you might want to raise those with the council.
Other than that, being nice to your neighbours is a good thing - better than beating them over the head with the blunt end of a councillor.
Often permission is granted with 'reserved matters' - meaning the planning department wants to make sure the buildings are completed in a particular way, or to ensure they can only be used in a particular manner. If the houses are acceptable to you (and it sounds like they are) then you did the right thing. If there is some concern that they might be split up, or there might be access problems in future if everyone gets cars, then you might want to raise those with the council.
Other than that, being nice to your neighbours is a good thing - better than beating them over the head with the blunt end of a councillor.
Actually I would raise the issue with the council.
If the work isn't done to a high enough standard the occupants are at risk. In the case of tenants that's unacceptable.
If the work isn't done acceptably it drags the value of housing down. It may look OK today, but in 5 years???
Additionally why is it that people who break all the rules get away with it but never me? What's in it for me? NOTHING, possibly negative.
It sounds unsociable and hard nosed but you did ask....
If the work isn't done to a high enough standard the occupants are at risk. In the case of tenants that's unacceptable.
If the work isn't done acceptably it drags the value of housing down. It may look OK today, but in 5 years???
Additionally why is it that people who break all the rules get away with it but never me? What's in it for me? NOTHING, possibly negative.
It sounds unsociable and hard nosed but you did ask....
Hedders, Old Chap, ( how ya doin'?) Someone opposite me built a bungelow in the corner of a farmers field, without permission. It didn't cause me any problems, and still hasn't. But he did it without planning permission.
It's since been knocked down and rebuilt, quite nice it is too, actually!
The origional owner/builder was: MMmmh!.......well....... shall we we say - "well connected" and got it retrospectively passed (green belt land).
It's the same "loophole" that many are complaining about now that the: "lower (Gypsy) orders" are taking advantage of now.
Pity they didn't apply it earlier IMHO. Oh Um!
As I say, If it doesn't cause you a problem then, like me, it's OK. It's just the double standards that I object to. But it should after all apply to all.
It's since been knocked down and rebuilt, quite nice it is too, actually!
The origional owner/builder was: MMmmh!.......well....... shall we we say - "well connected" and got it retrospectively passed (green belt land).
It's the same "loophole" that many are complaining about now that the: "lower (Gypsy) orders" are taking advantage of now.
Pity they didn't apply it earlier IMHO. Oh Um!
As I say, If it doesn't cause you a problem then, like me, it's OK. It's just the double standards that I object to. But it should after all apply to all.
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