neighbour has objected to our planning permission

[vioilly]

We recently bought a house that has 2 bedrooms and we need to create a 3rd bedroom as we have 2 children. When we bought the house, we were told that it already had planning permission to put 2 dormers on the front of the house and 2 dormers on the back of the house. We got a builder around who said that we should actually go with a a ful dormer on the back of the house as it will give us the most amout of head room, plus it falls under permitted development. We thought this was a good idea as the dormer is actually well hidden behind some trees that form the adjoining neghbours garden.

However, when we spoke to the 4 neighbours, one of them got quite difficult failry quickly, whilst the other 3 said they had no problem with the plans. This neighbour actually came round and started to tell me that in fact, I should put the dormer on the front of the house and also re-arranged the plans and changed the staircase to accoomodate moving the dormer to the front of the house.

I was quite shocked but I spoke to my wife and agreed to get him round to talk about the plans. He did not responds and the next thing is that we have had 8 objections on the planning works and he has also got a profression planning company to object on his behalf. He has a lot of money and lives on a very exclusive estate.

We haven't responded and the next door neighbours think he's been very difficult and have supported me, although the date had passed for comments so I told them not to bother putting any comments on to support our plans, even though 1 neghbour was happy to do this for me.

He got 7 of his friends to object. The closest lives about 500 meters away from our property and the furthest live 1.2 miles away. We live down a lane where no one comes down, (it is past a commercial site and we are at the end of a provate lane).

My question is whether these objections will make any difference. I suspect the planning company he hired told them to put in a load of objections, but will the council see that its a campaign against us? What should we do? We are currently being quiet as the dormer falls under permitted development and it is the kitch extension that requires permission, which he hasn't got a problem with. Will the case go to a committe? Should I speak to anyone ? We feel victimised and hope the council planning authorites see that he's got a bnuch of people to comlpain. Just unsure what to do.. any advice will be greatly appreciated.

The neighbour probably objects to an ordinary person being permitted to live within a mile of their exclusive estate, whilst inconsiderately breathing the same air, and unreasonably using the same sunlight.

We had this but the other way around. Not long after we moved in our NDN put in planning permission for a 2 storey extension on the back of their house. It would very definitely have blocked all the light for the majority of the day from the back of our house so I wrote a short note on the planning application site and the objection was upheld. Point being that it makes no odds at all who he employed to put in however many objections, unless one of them is actually going to impact light/privacy/safety they won't be taken any notice of. If he does have a valid objection though you'll just have to redraw plans like our neighbours did. Ridiculous really as we had no objection to the new plan and had they bothered to talk to us about their plans to start with they could have avoided all the faffing about!

I used to work on the front desk at a planning office and a guy of a certain religion/country of origin would object to any planning application put forward by anyone of a different specific religion/country of origin. As he didn't live anywhere near the people so it didn't affect him his objections weren't taken into amount.

I'm not sure about the UK, but my brother (in Dublin) had an objection to a residential development ruled out because the objector lived more than 60m away and on a different (but parallel) road.

I think the other replies miss the most important point. It's an exclusive, luxury estate. One of the most expensive in the country. It even has security guards.

Now desperately trying to figure out where is so exclusive and expensive

The neighbour who has objected has got a dispute with the previous owner of the house we've moved into, who complained his hedge was too high. I received 115 pages worth of comments about why he should have his hedge high and it all seems pathetic really. The hedge is definitely high, but for me, it's about getting on amicably with your neghbour, so I am happy to drop the dispute..

Our domer will be 30-40 meters from their house and the very end of his garden (it will sit 6 foot in his garden and 10 foot in the other nighbours garden). My 2 daughters are sharing a room and all I want is an extra bedroom so we're comfortable. On the flip side, he has a 6 bed mansion with a basement, including a gym, cinema, 3 reception rooms, a pool plus a garage pretty much the same size as our house. Fair enough, he's made his $millions, but our dormer is behind some trees, not overlooking his house at al. 3/4 neighbours think it's not a problem and 1, in particular, really supports us.

I think we have a problem neighbour on our hands to be honest, with too much money and too much time on his hands.

Thanks for all your messages. I feel like we don't deserve all of these objections and we should ride it out.

Oh, and I don't live on the luxury estatebut we live on the poor man's side just on the edge of this estate, next to a bit commerical site but nicely tucked away out of it, hence why we liked the house. I do feel in some way connected to the super rich, but i'm beginning to learn that money isn't the be end and end all to life. Just being nice people who get along with others is enough.

As a planner:

1. If it's truly permitted development (check the limits on for instance size), you do not need planning permission. These are minor developments and no one can object; they are pre-approved.

1. Anyone can object to planning applications. It doesn't matter how many people object, it's about having valid planning reasons to object. This could include overlooking or loss of light, but the rules are quite strict and will only be considered an issue if there is a great degree of overlooking or loss of daylight.

1. It could go to committee if there are many objections with valid planning reasons. Not just some neighbours objecting without good reason.

A dormer that is PD is never that big in size that it would cause a high degree of overlooking. I presume that the neighbour is worried about that? His objection should be on on the public access site of your local planning authority, so you can check there. I doubt he has valid planning reasons.

I think you should try not to take planning objections personally, even when they have been submitted in a mean-spirited way. Just focus on meeting the rules and regulations and hope that the planning committee follow their own guidelines.

I had a planning application in that had six objection letters, including one with a very detailed and probably expensive report by a planning consultant. Across the six letters there were over 60 signatures, so basically every single one of my new neighbours on two roads. But they are following due process, they are perfectly entitled to object and that is the way that the system is supposed to work, so when I eventually do build my house there and move in I will be just as civil as if they hadn't called my dream house an 'aesthetic monstrosity'.

Hi Springishere0,

The dormer is PD, however it is the kitchen extension that requires planning permission.

It seems that if it is PD, then his objections cannot be taken in to account. Is that an accurate statement?

Thanks - V.

Don't worry about the volume of objections. I spent many years working to develop planning applications for wind turbines of all sizes and configurations - single small "domestic" scale to wind farm size. Wind turbines really bring out the objectors and even for fairly small projects we could get over a hundred letters local and from all of the country. In spite of this we had a very high success rate because as others have said it is about the validity of the objection and not the number.

Ah the useless field dragons.....

Pretty rare the neighbours are taken into consideration in my experience. Half the time they are asked so 'the people' feel like they have a voice when in reality they are rarely listened to. Probably a good thing though as sweet FA would get built or improved.

Whether it would be covered by pd or not , it is currently part of a planning application so the works are no longer treated separately.

Hi - this is what i know from my own experience in my local borough.

If you have 6 objections this means it can't be approved automatically and has to go to a planning committee for discussion - usually a monthly meeting. It also means that the objectors have the right to speak for 3 minutes at the meeting, and you do too, but you have to contact the planning office to let them know you want to speak.
The case will have a recommendation from the planning officer to approve or disapprove - you can find out what their recommendation is in advance on the council website before the meeting.
For the planning committee to overthrow the decision of the planning officer to approve the development, they would have to need reasons based on the planning guidelines - they can't just say no. These are things like reduction in light, the area of hard cover, distance from existing houses, parking and traffic.
Planning committees tend to go with the planning officer's recommendation. If it is approved, the objectors have no right to appeal. If is is rejected, the applicant has a right to appeal, but this will cost both you and the planning office money in legal costs.

I think he will be planning to speak at the meeting if he has got that number of objections - talk to the planning officer to find out.

Could you withdraw the application and resubmit for just the kitchen extension so that he thinks he's won. Then, when you get permission for the kitchen just do the dormer as well under PD? Disclaimer, I know nothing about planning rules.

I know this is hard, but you need to take a deep breath. If your plans don't contravene any planning law it doesn't matter how many objections you get and you will get to build your home
You have to remember this person will get no benefit from this extension but will have all the noise, dust and a change of outlook. Of course they are going to complain. Even if some people are supportive others will try to get heir own way.
You just need to get on with your life and not take it personally.
We had objections and supporters ' but a few years down the line it's all forgotten.

I think in your situation I would withdraw the application

Then make the permitted development enquiry and get the go ahead for the dormer

Then submit a planning application for the kitchen extension, at very least he will have to piss around getting all his dickhead mates to object to the application again, at best he may think he has won if there's no mention of the dormer on the application and not bother objecting about the extension, shouldn't be a problem getting a builder to carry out both at once as planned and he won't realise he's been outsmarted until it's too late

I think you have possibly been badly advised as I'd have only submitted the application for the kitchen extension, and lef tthe back of the house bit under the Permitted Development category. Can you withdraw and resubmit accordingly?

Thanks for the advice. The decision date is very soon so we are nearing the end of the application.

I think I will keep it as is as see what transpires over the next few weeks. Maybe it will get approved without me going back to square 1 and paying for the architect to change the plans and for me to pay for another application.

If it does get refused, the maybe they will tell me why and for me to modify my current plan and remove the dormer and stick with the extension - at least this way, I don't need to go through planning again.

Thanks for the advice.

I've been the clerk to the planning committee in 2 different local authorities. Unless it's a pretty contentious application, they often go through more or less on the nod if the planning officers recommend approval, regardless of how many objections have been sent in.