Planning permission/incompetent council (shock)
Discussion
Hi all,
We applied for planning permission for some changes to the outside of our house - it is a conversation area, so changing a front door needs planning permission apparently.....
Before the application I outlined what we wanted to do to the conservation officer in an email - he replied saying no issues with any of our proposals and to get an application in. We then made the application and all was approved in the 8 weeks it takes. The approval came with a condition, that material samples should be provided on site and that I need the approval of the council in writing of the material samples and material schedule.
So 4 weeks has passed since sending them said material sample - a 2 page pdf with a picture of some bricks and a different current front door to the current one and a picture of some gates exactly the same as the ones we are replacing
They've told our architect today that the person who initially handled our case is no longer handling it, and the person who has the massive task of reviewing said 2 page pdf document works one day a week and needs at least another 3 weeks before being able to give any initial thoughts on it!
Is this normal? Can we just crack on with the work and hope for the best, or is there a genuine chance the lady with the 7 hour working week may get back to us in the middle of October to tell us she doesnt like the shade of red we are proposing for the new brick wall and that we have to knock it down and start again?
Bloody council
We applied for planning permission for some changes to the outside of our house - it is a conversation area, so changing a front door needs planning permission apparently.....
Before the application I outlined what we wanted to do to the conservation officer in an email - he replied saying no issues with any of our proposals and to get an application in. We then made the application and all was approved in the 8 weeks it takes. The approval came with a condition, that material samples should be provided on site and that I need the approval of the council in writing of the material samples and material schedule.
So 4 weeks has passed since sending them said material sample - a 2 page pdf with a picture of some bricks and a different current front door to the current one and a picture of some gates exactly the same as the ones we are replacing
They've told our architect today that the person who initially handled our case is no longer handling it, and the person who has the massive task of reviewing said 2 page pdf document works one day a week and needs at least another 3 weeks before being able to give any initial thoughts on it!
Is this normal? Can we just crack on with the work and hope for the best, or is there a genuine chance the lady with the 7 hour working week may get back to us in the middle of October to tell us she doesnt like the shade of red we are proposing for the new brick wall and that we have to knock it down and start again?
Bloody council
Do it and ask for forgiveness later or wait to see - the decision os yours!
Seriously you have to weigh up the chances of your materials not being acceptable v the council doing something about it v it will all be OK.
If it's a real ball ache to wait, or has other implications for you, then I'd plough ahead BUT the safest thing is always going to be to wait.
As to the issue of slowness.... it's just the way it is at times unfortunately.
Seriously you have to weigh up the chances of your materials not being acceptable v the council doing something about it v it will all be OK.
If it's a real ball ache to wait, or has other implications for you, then I'd plough ahead BUT the safest thing is always going to be to wait.
As to the issue of slowness.... it's just the way it is at times unfortunately.
Had similar issues with a garage build at the back of my property. Went through pre-planning advice to try and minimise any potential issues with the full application but still ended up coming up against road blocks.
Eventually got my permission 4 months after initially applying to find similar conditions to your own in regards to materials/landscaping etc
Took a further 2 months to get this discharged. Had to provide brochures of materials, list of all landscaping i wished to carry out, timelines for all works to be started/completed etc
Personally I would wait for the decision.....I understand the frustration though!
Eventually got my permission 4 months after initially applying to find similar conditions to your own in regards to materials/landscaping etc
Took a further 2 months to get this discharged. Had to provide brochures of materials, list of all landscaping i wished to carry out, timelines for all works to be started/completed etc
Personally I would wait for the decision.....I understand the frustration though!
Brother in law went through this last year in one of the London Boroughs, applied for planning permition for an extension. Sent it all in and waited the councils stated response time of 16 weeks (something big like that), he heard nothing back and chased them up throughout. At 16 weeks he contacted them again to complain/see what the plan is, only to be told he had to wait a further XX weeks before any complaints etc could be accepted.
Council said it was normal for the 16 week time frame not to be adhered to.
What's the point of deadlines, time frames if they are utterly meaningless?
On a separate note, Wife isn't going back to work after Maternity leave, contacted school who have said they want the monies paid back for what she claimed. Disappointing, but fair enough. Asked how long before we find out how much we will need to pay (many £1000s) and they have said few weeks/several weeks/not sure. Depends on the workload. What the f
k. This sort of thing grinds my gears when in the private sector my deadlines are met or I get a hell of a kicking. Public sector? meh!
Council said it was normal for the 16 week time frame not to be adhered to.
What's the point of deadlines, time frames if they are utterly meaningless?
On a separate note, Wife isn't going back to work after Maternity leave, contacted school who have said they want the monies paid back for what she claimed. Disappointing, but fair enough. Asked how long before we find out how much we will need to pay (many £1000s) and they have said few weeks/several weeks/not sure. Depends on the workload. What the f
k. This sort of thing grinds my gears when in the private sector my deadlines are met or I get a hell of a kicking. Public sector? meh!Has OP applied for condition discharge or just material approval. If the former its an application with a time limit but no time limit (that does make sense) if material approval no reply in time = acceptance.
I would contact Planning and ask what date a decision had to be made by, and to confirm that as no reply received you are proceeding
I would contact Planning and ask what date a decision had to be made by, and to confirm that as no reply received you are proceeding
Thanks all, glad to know I am not alone in suffering haha!
Architect has applied for discharge of conditions, I have just checked. So yes it seems this effectively resets the process and makes it an entire new application (it has its own planning permission reference number as opposed to being attached to the initial application) , or certainly the timescale of an entire new application. Is there any reason he would have done this, as opposed to simply sending the schedule of materials I sent him to pass on?
The timescale is frustrating for a few reasons, main one is having the valuation for the remortgage done before the outside is done. I appreciate the valuation surveyor is looking at internal space etc, but we are spending 10's of thousands on the outside and I feel adding kerb appeal is a definite factor on this specific property. Things like electric gates and so on are standard on a property of the value we hope ours to be once complete so it is annoying that we are having to get the survey done before the house is fully finished due to this hold up (gf changing jobs soon hence us not having the opportunity to wait until after work is done for remortgage). The driveway is crumbling to pieces, the boundary wall is battered etc.
Hopefully I can explain our plans to the surveyor and they take this into account so we don't get a down valuation
Thanks for the moral support!
Architect has applied for discharge of conditions, I have just checked. So yes it seems this effectively resets the process and makes it an entire new application (it has its own planning permission reference number as opposed to being attached to the initial application) , or certainly the timescale of an entire new application. Is there any reason he would have done this, as opposed to simply sending the schedule of materials I sent him to pass on?
The timescale is frustrating for a few reasons, main one is having the valuation for the remortgage done before the outside is done. I appreciate the valuation surveyor is looking at internal space etc, but we are spending 10's of thousands on the outside and I feel adding kerb appeal is a definite factor on this specific property. Things like electric gates and so on are standard on a property of the value we hope ours to be once complete so it is annoying that we are having to get the survey done before the house is fully finished due to this hold up (gf changing jobs soon hence us not having the opportunity to wait until after work is done for remortgage). The driveway is crumbling to pieces, the boundary wall is battered etc.
Hopefully I can explain our plans to the surveyor and they take this into account so we don't get a down valuation
Thanks for the moral support!
simong800 said:
Thanks all, glad to know I am not alone in suffering haha!
Architect has applied for discharge of conditions, I have just checked. So yes it seems this effectively resets the process and makes it an entire new application (it has its own planning permission reference number as opposed to being attached to the initial application) , or certainly the timescale of an entire new application. Is there any reason he would have done this, as opposed to simply sending the schedule of materials I sent him to pass on?
Depends how it was phrased in the permission. Materials are often just via submission of details but can sometimes be a specific condition requiring discharge. Architect has applied for discharge of conditions, I have just checked. So yes it seems this effectively resets the process and makes it an entire new application (it has its own planning permission reference number as opposed to being attached to the initial application) , or certainly the timescale of an entire new application. Is there any reason he would have done this, as opposed to simply sending the schedule of materials I sent him to pass on?
V6Pushfit said:
simong800 said:
Thanks all, glad to know I am not alone in suffering haha!
Architect has applied for discharge of conditions, I have just checked. So yes it seems this effectively resets the process and makes it an entire new application (it has its own planning permission reference number as opposed to being attached to the initial application) , or certainly the timescale of an entire new application. Is there any reason he would have done this, as opposed to simply sending the schedule of materials I sent him to pass on?
Depends how it was phrased in the permission. Materials are often just via submission of details but can sometimes be a specific condition requiring discharge. Architect has applied for discharge of conditions, I have just checked. So yes it seems this effectively resets the process and makes it an entire new application (it has its own planning permission reference number as opposed to being attached to the initial application) , or certainly the timescale of an entire new application. Is there any reason he would have done this, as opposed to simply sending the schedule of materials I sent him to pass on?
The Stockport Met Borough Council hereby give notice that HOUSEHOLD PLANNING PERMISSION HAS BEEN GRANTED yada yada......the development must be carried out in accordance with the application and plans submitted and subject to the following terms and conditions:
1 .refers to the what drawings the permission relates to.
2. No development shall take place until details of the drainage and surfacing of all new and replacement areas of hardstanding within the site curtilage have been submitted to and approve in writing by the local planning authority. The areas shall only be constructed in accordance with the approved details and drawings and the driveway shall then be retained and remain available for use for parking at all times thereafter.
3. Notwithstanding the information shown on the submitted drawings, no development shall take place until a detailed schedule of all of the proposed materials (for the paving, wall, gates, porch, heads & cills and door) and detailed drawings illustrating the design of the gates have been submitted to the local planning authority, samples made available on site, and the schedule, details and samples approved in writing by the local planning authority.
Then it goes on to list standard stuff, i.e. the requirements of the conditions need to be complied with and so on. Failure to do so may make the permission null and void etc etc.
From this, and having absolutely zero knowledge of it, I don't understand why there has been an application for discharge of conditions - can anyone shed any light?
When you look at much of the world, I'm grateful to our UK planning restrictions, as stupid as they seem at times.
We're in a conservation area and have learned that as long as you are sensible with the choice of materials, it is safe to just go and do it. Some officers get arsy and insist on retrospective planning on the smallest of details but a retrospective application costs no more than an advance one. You run the risk of it being rejected but unless someone objects, I've never known any sensible changes to be rejected.
We're in a conservation area and have learned that as long as you are sensible with the choice of materials, it is safe to just go and do it. Some officers get arsy and insist on retrospective planning on the smallest of details but a retrospective application costs no more than an advance one. You run the risk of it being rejected but unless someone objects, I've never known any sensible changes to be rejected.
I have found that professionals who need to deal with Councils regularly don't like to rock the boat.
I had similar and after trying to get hold of the part timer dealing with my new build I spoke to her boss - and pointed out that it wasn't rocket science and it was unreasonable to delay me further - he approved it that afternoon !
I had similar and after trying to get hold of the part timer dealing with my new build I spoke to her boss - and pointed out that it wasn't rocket science and it was unreasonable to delay me further - he approved it that afternoon !
Swervin_Mervin said:
It's not really the council/planning department being incompetent is it? It's simply a lack of staff. This is a major issue nationally.
This , I know it's usually the done thing to kick the council but all have had massive cuts. It's either social services type service or back office like planning , guess what s going to be cut ?Swervin_Mervin said:
It's not really the council/planning department being incompetent is it? It's simply a lack of staff. This is a major issue nationally.
I wish I could ignore work coming in, just not do it and take every other day off. Things would fall apart but I wouldn't be incompetent??Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff