To say NO! to the backyard bungalow builder's latest application?

[OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere]

Got a letter from planning today.

Neigbours finally got round to applying for planning for the humoungous fence they put up in the summer.

It is there to stop us seeing what is going on in the gym house they builit in their small urban back garden.

The fence is ugly and very tall. It is attached to the fence that we already have which is the regulation height so its is totally unecessary (apart from to act as a screen).

I dont like it, it impinges on my garden and my neighbours have behaved like total bastards over the bungalow that they should never have built.

What do I say in response to the letter. Are any of my lovely planning people around to advise on the wording?

If people are not familiar with the bungalow saga they can see pics in my profile.

Sorry - that is hardly a bungalow they are building, its a fallout shelter! You have my sympathies. Crappy neighbors are the worst!!

I'm never bothered by the word unsafe.

I only fret when I read the words 'adverse impact on the amenity of neighbouring landusers'.

Pm me the application number mrs d and I'll see what I can suggest

I keep singing Bungalow Bill now.

Welcome to the MN planning team sausagedog. Do you by chance have a dax?

MrsDeVere, my twohappece, go to the planning portal and look up Permitted Planing Rights. Look up to see what category that building falls into, because a bungalow it aint. More of a garden room imo. It certainly hasn't been signed off, it would fail Building Regs on a number of points

Also speak to Building Control if you haven't done so and voice your worries.

sausage they dont cite a reason for the fence.
They are dickheads.

Even if the erection comes under permitted development shouldn't it still comply with building regs? Have building control been involved?

We've put up a hard battle over the bungalow on the last thread. Sadly it's only the fence to deal with at the moment.

I think that in time the bungalow will be enforced but it still meets pd and will therefore remain in situ. It is the use that's the issue

Change of use enforcement is pretty labour intensive. To prove as a matter of fact and degree that the building used either as a discrete dwelling or in a manner that wouldn't be considered incidental to the main house would involve visits and surveillance. Hopefully will happen.

In meantime the fence must go - how high is it actually?

Ah MrsDV, another one who remembers t'other thread. I've no further advice but suffice to say....please keep us abreast of the comings and goings of the erection ;)

All the very best

Mrs De V
knowing that some people search forums on particular words

Planning permission
building control
retrospective application
permitted development
garden gym

should get a good crop of experts onto your thread

we messaged a while back
I'm more than happy to do intensive googling for you - message if you want ...

Thank you all my lovelies.

You lot go me through that horrible summer. My threads kept me sane, they really did. So much support and excellent advice.

I am dropping off passing out now but promise to keep you all updated and message those who have offered help x

No, a bungalow is a separate dwelling if it's being used to live in and therefore doesn't meet pd.

If it has been built as a garden room, sun room or shed it does meet pd.

A bungalow.....no.

Evening Mrs DV and MN planning team. Welcome to the team Sausagedog and Pooka (you give yourself away with your language!)

I've had a look at the application and done my 'site visit' on Google Maps. There's no plans up yet, they'll probably be up in the next week or so. Nevertheless, a 2.3m (7'6") fence is a 2.3m fence so the plans won't tell us much.

The road slopes down across the terrace, but yours and your neighbours are at the same level. Is this the same of the gardens or is their garden very slightly higher than yours?

Its suburbia. There seems to be no reason whatsoever to have a higher fence than would normally be expected, although this in itself isn't a reason to refuse it. The precedent it sets is though. The fact it exceeds permitted development rights isn't a reason to refuse either.

So, we need to tease out the impact. If your neighbours hadn't built the bungalow, how would you feel about the fence itself?

It's a gym, missmartha, not a bungalow.

Apparently .

It has an exercise bike in it.

Apparently .

Ah, I see Thanks for clarifying.

I would be pissed off about the fence miss. Its too big. There is no reason for it. Their privacy was not compromised before they built it. Our fence is perfectly adequate to provide a normal level of privacy. They have built an extra fence when one already exists.

But, Mrs DV, what is the consequence of the fence being too big?

That's what I'm trying to get to the bottom of, because in there is the reason for refusing it.

So they put the fence up to make sure you cant see that the bungalow is being lived in and dob them in, yes?

Have they done the same on the other side of their garden? Mght be worth a word with their other next door neighbours...

It blocks the light to my garden.
It is oppressive
It blocks our view across the tops of the gardens
It will affect my plants

Its fucking horrible.

What should I say. Tell me and I will say it

It's an unneighbourly development. It has the same effect as a leyladii fence, gone mad.

Lack of light can be cited and that it's unsightly.

I didn't read the first thread re building, but if you go to your local councillor and get them involved, it will be dealt with by the Planning Committee rather than under delegated powers.

You can get the Planning Committee to request a site visit even.

That's what I wanted! I tell my officers that they need to clearly identify the issues before they even start writing. You've just clearly identified the issues. We want to make it as easy as possible for the case officer to refuse it.

I can work with that. Bedtime now but I will start to sketch a letter out in my head.

And missmartha is right - any one of your 3 ward councillors can force this to Planning Committee, and there's a specific window of time for them to do this.

They are all on email via the council website.

The you can go and speak to committee.

Think very hard before forcing it to committee.

MissM is obviously well on with the objections which will incorporate proper planning reasons and filter out the hearsay on the thread.

I'll have a scan of appeals to look at the quality of decision making and see if there's a maverick planning committee.

They happen

I wont be writing an empassioned and emotiona plea

I just want to put the facts and use the right lingo.

They dont deserve their fence and they dont need it.

And they are wankspanners.

But I wont put in the wankspanners or the undeserving bit in my letter