Why would neighbours moan about planning permission in passing but never raise a formal objection?

[Legoandloldolls]

Just mussing really. There is big house on our street that sold off its land to build our little street back in the nineties.

The owner of the big house died and there was two possible claims on the property so it was sold off quite fast cheaply. A developer has bought it and first put in planning for five houses. This was turned down and has been resubmitted for four houses.

Lots of people raised objections to the planning. Except my neighbour. But both of them moan and seem unhappy about it. Yet they didn't ever raise a formal objection. So when the original plans was thrown out and new plans submitted they didn't raise a objection again.

Everyone agrees something should be built but generally the objection is that plot won't fit five houses ( because there are two allocated parking spaces and visitors will spill out onto the street) etc.

Things like that don't effect us as we have lots of off street parking. But next door is really complaining. Even told me where the local councilor lived so I could go round and complain.

Yet they didn't object at all via the planning objection route. They just grumble about it. I'm musing about why they wouldn't put a objection in? A lot of the objections have been taken on board and the plans have changed now. To the detriment of me and neighbour because it now proposes to use our shared access. Neighbour was complaining to me, we pointed out that they can object again as a new window has opened. But they again didn't object formally.

Why would someone not object to a planning development that they don't agree with? What do they know that I don't? Will objections to planning come up when I sell the house after the development has been completed? I don't think they are planning to sell right now and if they was surely the mass objection is visible anyway? What am I missing? Yes I have asked. He said they never got around to it the first time. But that doesn't explain doing the same for the revised plans.

Have a fluffed up my chances of selling my own house further down the line? Would this even come up in searches once it's built?

It's similar to people who complain about the Government but don't bother to vote, or say "Someone should do something about this..."

Because that requires them to actually do something rather than just mouthing off which takes zero effort?

First two replies nail it.

Even told me where the local councilor lived so I could go round and complain.

because they want you to do the leg work

Perhaps because they know that their objections aren't legitimate planning considerations.

There are a bewildering range of things that can't be taken into consideration. We found this when our neighbours submitted plans that didn't match inside to outside and were partially on our roof.

Because you need to declare it as a neighbourhood dispute when selling your house and as it’s an official channel it’s recorded, you risk devaluing your own property.

Possibly. I do suspect that they presume we will somehow effect the change ourselves on their behalf. However we have done all we can including taking to councillors via official channels.

Plan b is selling when it's finished if its a headache.

We sent them the objection link!

Is it listed as a dispute? I thought that was just for cases that ended up in court. However this would make sense.

The planing objections are anonymous and there was 20 so staying quite becomes irrelevant

Can anyone think of polite conversation stoppers about this? Having slept on it again, I do feel that it's ( even if only in my imagination) putting pressure on us to fix this without incurring any time, cost, or risk for them. We are being brisk already to try to show them we are not wading in guns blazing for the developer in hopes they might lodge an objection thinking we're blase at this point.

Want to say, "we have done all we can now. There's nothing more I can personally do, so let just see what planning decides."

Better would be 100% honest. Do not want to fall out with them but I'm done with what I can do

Just ignore and change the subject to the weather? Ask him what he's done about it?

Ask them why they've not put their opinions forward?

Yes I think deflecting the conversation back to asking why they didn't object, they can't be that concerned is the way forward.

Then just say what will be will be. If there's any suggestions of going round to any ones door I'm going to say "excellent idea. Let me know what they say to you".

In addition to this, another neighbour offered us help to block the planning and said they would help however they could. I sought some initial legal advice and fed this back and they have gone silent on me. I shared what my solicitor said, no follow up. I asked if they wanted a chat to share what what was said - no answer. Been over a week now.

Not sure what's happened there. I'm guessing people are reluctant to get their hand in if they think I'm going to seek and pay for all of the legal costs. However I'm getting paranoid that some of them might be fishing for the developer? ( unlikely and doesn't change my legal rights anyway).

That's not logical ( my paranoia), I know. But at the very least, it feels that everyone is keeping their cards close to their chest. I'm seeking more expert legal opinions now. Is it in my interest to be so open with everyone else about what I'm doing here? Or do I need to keep correspondence to me and the developer when the time comes up?

Why are people so hard to read? Why do they say things they really don't mean at all? Like " this is terrible, it's going to ruin my enjoyment of my house ( but I'm going to do the sum of zero to prevent it)" I wasn't that stressed to start with, but the neighbours behaviour is making me parniod when in probability they are just burying their heads in the sand. Maybe I want that luxury?

I have some quotes to look at the deeds in detail and it's starting from £500-£1000 plus vat upwards. Plus all of my time and stress.

No idea. I guess they couldn't be arsed, and didn't actually feel strongly enough about it? Or the person bribed them to not do so? They didn't know they could?

I think couldn't be arsed is likely.

Planning objections are not anonymous - they will be online on the councils planning portal for anyone to view. They are in our area anyway, always have been.

I don’t think a planning objection would count as a neighbour dispute if you came to sell - thats more things like arguments over noise/parking/access etc.

Yes they are all visible but there's no ability to see who submitted them. You can easily guess who has submitted some of them.

Some parts are redacted too. Next door could have objected as there are over 20 objections. They have told me they didn't object. In fact any of them could be there's. A few that could be them as it points out how it effects their property. So they mentioned in a few of the objections anyway.