Objecting to planning app re loss of privacy
Objecting to planning app re loss of privacy
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CraigVmax

Original Poster:

12,248 posts

306 months

Saturday 17th September 2011
quotequote all
Gents,

Anyone know much about this..

The company opposite my house have applied for planning for 7 flats over 3 stories plus a roof terrace.

Currently it is a boatyard.

This would decimate my privacy and frankly I feel a bit sick about it.

It will affect about 5 houses in the same way so obviously Will be speaking to them also.

Does anyone know how seriously loss of privacy is viewed by planners?

5705

1,165 posts

176 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
CraigVmax said:
Gents,

Anyone know much about this..

The company opposite my house have applied for planning for 7 flats over 3 stories plus a roof terrace.

Currently it is a boatyard.

This would decimate my privacy and frankly I feel a bit sick about it.

It will affect about 5 houses in the same way so obviously Will be speaking to them also.

Does anyone know how seriously loss of privacy is viewed by planners?
What would the flats overlook - apart from the front of your house? That alone - IME - would not be considered as a significant loss of privacy. Might ruin your view, but that's also quite low on the planners' priorities.

Decimate? Loss of privacy from 100% to 90%? Hardly anything then.

CraigVmax

Original Poster:

12,248 posts

306 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
They would look directly into my garden, living room and bedroom, we would be extremely visible.

Currently the building is only used in the day.

Simpo Two

91,609 posts

289 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
5705 said:
Decimate? Loss of privacy from 100% to 90%? Hardly anything then.
Take a gold star; not many people know that decimate means reduce by a tenth smile

OP: Guess all you can do is lodge an objection and see.

Thom987

3,185 posts

190 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
Loss of privacy won't be enough on its own.

Simpo Two

91,609 posts

289 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
Maybe noise, parking, extra traffic/congestion?

Mandat

4,449 posts

262 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
If they're proposing a three storey development, make sure that the Planning Dept. fully consider the Planning Sunlight & Daylight implications.

If that fails, you might still have a chance if your Right of Light is significantly affected but you might need to spend some money with a Specialist RoL Surveyor who can analyse the proposals and assess the potential loss of light that your property may suffer.

CraigVmax

Original Poster:

12,248 posts

306 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
Thx all appreciate your advice, learned a new thing about decimate too!

If anyone has experience of this then further info gratefully received.

5705

1,165 posts

176 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
Your local authority may have a booklet demonstrating the 45-degree rule which applies to the overshadowing of windows of habitable rooms in your house by the proposed new development. This has all changed recently, and I'm not sure if the 45-degree rule has ever been anything more than a guideline. But the underlying principle will still be the same. Here's an example of some Plain English documentation: http://www.stirling.gov.uk/dan_daylight.pdf

However, unless your street is VERY narrow, I don't think the 45 degree rule might help.

Be aware that saying to a planner "we don't want other people being able to look into our rooms from their rooms" is going to be a VERY weak argument. For all sorts of reasons.

More likely to succeed are:
  • not in keeping with the area (the same dort of objection that stops big detached houses being built in roads full of '60s bungalows)
  • no need (perhaps because of a surplus of flats already available in the area)
  • traffic/parking/etc inadequacy
ETA: that doc shows a 25-degree rule on facing properties!

Edited by 5705 on Sunday 18th September 10:54

CraigVmax

Original Poster:

12,248 posts

306 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
It's across the river so not sure if the degree rule would hold up although at 3 stories high it would certainly block sunlight during the day.

It's a tricky one, might have to get a solicitor on board

camp freddie

255 posts

199 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
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I have an ideawhistle

Davel

8,982 posts

282 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
Presumably it's classed as brownfield land and possibly ripe for re-development.

Have you spoken to the developer about your concerns or had an informal chat with the Duty Planning Officer?

Good luck anyway but I wouldn't hold out too much hope personally.

5705

1,165 posts

176 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
CraigVmax said:
It's across the river so not sure if the degree rule would hold up although at 3 stories high it would certainly block sunlight during the day.

It's a tricky one, might have to get a solicitor on board
It's across a river! How far away? I'm struggling to see how the 25-degree guideline could be passed but that somehow the sun could no longer shine into the relevant rooms. Any chance you want to provide a URL to Google Street View/etc?

A solicitor will happily take your money regardless of the merit of your objection, of course.

BBYeah

363 posts

207 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
If you have the cash, may be worth hiring a planning consultant to assess and plan the objections for you.

Or there's this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Stop-Influence-Plannin...

I have the ones by the same author for finding plots and getting PP.

CraigVmax

Original Poster:

12,248 posts

306 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
Off top of my head about 25m away, don't really want to link to google at this point sorry.

Steffan

10,362 posts

252 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
There are several approaches to effective planning objections.

When in property development I ran 25 planning appeals won every one. It was fun. But I only appealed the winnable cases because in many others although I did not like the decision, the planners were acting within the law.

The planning process is essentially bureaucracy at its best (or worst).

Do not seek fairness, equity or justice. Seek refusal by any means.

The best grounds are nuisance, noise and disturbance, non conforming use, Highways objection, inadequate visibility splays and any other statutory (within the statute requirements) objection.

If you want help PM me with the SPECIFIC details in as full a form as possible.

Good Luck

5705

1,165 posts

176 months

Sunday 18th September 2011
quotequote all
BBYeah said:
If you have the cash, may be worth hiring a planning consultant to assess and plan the objections for you.

Or there's this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Stop-Influence-Plannin...

I have the ones by the same author for finding plots and getting PP.
I have the same 2 books - they're pretty good, although I've not seen the one 'batting for the other team.'

Callughan

6,313 posts

216 months

Monday 19th September 2011
quotequote all
Similar situation a while back, all residents in my block of flats signed a petition against development based on numerous factors such as no parking provision for extra 8 properties on an already congested road etc...Council agreed and rejected planning permission. Good Luck

CraigVmax

Original Poster:

12,248 posts

306 months

Monday 19th September 2011
quotequote all
yes one thing thats come to light on this development is that they are reducing the number of parking spaces by 11 whilst adding 7 properties and offices, this is in an already problematic parking area

Davel

8,982 posts

282 months

Monday 19th September 2011
quotequote all
We live in a quiet country lane with about 10 houses in total on it.

A small farm near the end of the lane was chosen as suitable for affordable housing, on the foot print of the now redundant farm buildings.

Everyone in the lane objected. The site nor the roads were suitable for the development and 'experts' were engaged to resist.

The Parish Council were, however, keen that it should go there - and not anywhere near where any of the Councillors lived.

Despite proving that the site was 'wrong' for the development, permission was granted.

You may have everything right in objecting to a proposal but, if the local Council want it to go there, that's where it'll be.

Hope you make some progress with this.