Objecting to neighbours PP without ill feeling?

[Pebbledash23]

Can it be done?
NDN seem really nice, moved in just before Christmas. Told us they'd put in for an extension which we presumed would be single storey. Turns out it's two storey and I believe it will impact the light into our lounge. I've already expressed my concerns in the nicest possible way and they insisted due to angles it won't impact our light (I can't see how this is possible).
We're now at the stage of neighbour consultation. Ive been told that several other neighbours on the street will object as it's quite an imposing design and the two houses opposite NDN aren't happy. There's no other houses on our estate like ours that have been granted a double front extension. (Plenty have had single storey extensions which we would be absolutely fine with).
I'm planning to nip round for a chat and just to let them know that we will probably have to object based on my concerns but that it isn't personal. I would like to keep on good terms and feel it would be a bit sly putting in an objection without talking things through first considering we're on reasonably friendly terms.
Has anyone out there objected to a neighbours plans without things getting nasty? I really cba with neighbour dramas!

We’ve just objected but can’t say if it’s got nasty as the deadline hasn’t passed yet. We didn’t tell them we were objecting but they didn’t tell us they were planning an extension.

@fixitup2 yes, if they hadn't mentioned their plans I wouldn't be as concerned about speaking to them but as she gave us the heads up I feel I need to talk to them first. I'm an over thinker though so I may be being too considerate.

I took the cowards way out when my neighbours applied for PP... waited to see if any other neighbours would object. They did, PP was refused and I managed to avoid all confrontation!!

Op, if I were your neighbour I’d appreciate the chat first. It may not make a difference and they’ll probably still apply for pp but it will go a long way towards good neighbourly relations IMO.

@Pebbledash23 oh definitely. We were tempted to talk to them about it anyway but didn’t. It’s definitely best to talk to them first, they may have light surveys etc that could put your mind at rest if it does go ahead but at the end of the day you need to do what’s right for you and your property.

Someone objected to our pp because they misread it entirely and thought we were building a separate dwelling in our (very) small garden.

Gave us a laugh and pp was granted. We didn’t take it personally.

@EasterEggBelly that’s a good point. It’s worth having a chat I guess to double check I haven’t got the wrong end of the stick (although the plans are pretty obvious). Would love to be wrong about it and not have this situation!

We initially wanted to do a double storey extension; then our neighbours (whom we went round and spoke with face to face about it, with proposed plans) said nothing negative to our faces during that meeting, but sent us an email straight afterwards saying they didnt want us to do anything at all - single storey/double storey, didn’t matter. They sent the council pages and pages of “representations” and made the whole process a total nightmare from start to finish.

Our relationship has soured irreparably to the extent we don’t speak at all.

Had our neighbours done as you intend to and said they’d have had no prob with a single storey extension - believe me, we would have been delighted.

That’s interesting @Piglet89 I think I’m a reasonable person and can understand wanting to extend and improve your house as it’s always nice to live next door to a well cared for house. I just think it will block a considerable amount of light in our already north facing lounge particularly in autumn/early spring.
Your neighbours sound horrendous.

Yeah, I’m afraid they are @Pebbledash23 - totally unreasonable and irrational. The light they were claiming was being blocked was already being blocked by the boundary fence between our two side returns so...?

The council listened to them, though, and we ended up with a condition to take a square out of the corner of our (already small) side return extension to preserve their (non-existent) light.

The whole thing was a farce.

Be careful. We are in building stage but our neighbours all objected and it was horrible. They had no legs to stand on but put us through a horrible time. Realistically do you have grounds to object that will stand up? What’s your councils policies? Only object if you have proper grounds but be prepared for things to go sour. They haven’t with us but only because we’ve been the bigger people and value neighbour relationships. Good luck.

Our neighbour contested against ours and we didn’t get permission, I didn’t mind they protested at all, it’s their decision.
It did annoy me when said neighbour moved out to a care home 2 weeks later

Just because you object doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to do it. It will be looked into but they may still get permission anyway.

Your case doesn’t sound like it is proper grounds to object. Important to you but not a good enough reason for council to turn down PP. All that will happen is that their PP will be approved and you will have soured your relationship with your neighbour.

I would speak to them first personally. We had a neighbour object to something we had done years ago and honestly I still think he’s a massive knob to this day . In his letter he even complained that we had a tree removed that ‘must’ have had a preservation order on it. Had he bothered to come round then he could’ve seen the paperwork confirming that it didn’t. They might not be happy about it, but they will probably feel a bit betrayed if you object anyway without mentioning it. All the letters are freely available for them to see so they’ll know what you have written.

I before you do anything, talk to the overworked and underpaid planning officer dealing with the case. Explain the situation and ask them to visit your house to make an assessment.

Check to see if they have an extensions guidelines document (probably an sod - should be on their website). And see if the plans accord with that.

There are some rules of thumb about light so it should be relatively easy to assess.

If you do get to speak to the planning officer then chat with neighbour and explain and pop your objection in - only put it in on valid planning grounds though (light is one but not always but and dry to warrant a refusal).

Hope this helps

@84wood good advice. I think I need to look into it more. The thing is, I don’t want to object as I don’t want to create any issues but equally I’m conscious of the impact it may have on our house.

@SpringSunshineandTulips yes I know. I’d rather not have to object and risk the neighbourly relations when it could ahead anyway. I guess I just need to weigh it all up.

@sst1234 - this is what I’m worried about. If it’s likely I don’t have a proper case for consideration I’d rather just not cause the hassle between us. Thanks for the advice.

@DiscoGlitterBall this is so helpful! I didn’t know that I could do this. I also feel if an assessment was done and I was told from an independent body the impact would be minimal I wouldn’t object anyway. Thanks so much for the advice.

We tried to be amicable with our neighbours when we objected to their plans. Their extension means we have no light to the rear of our property until early evening, when we used to get it from lunchtime. It was deemed enough to object on. So they have a fortress over bearing and overshadowing our home and we can’t afford to move.

Sorry that should say it wasn’t deemed enough to uphold an objection on!

It's essential you know on what grounds you are objecting. You can't just object because you don't like it, however there are plenty of valid grounds.

My neighbour objected to my extension on the grounds that my house was very small and her house was very large, and if mine became bigger it would affect the setting of isolated splendour that her house existed in. I still think she is a loopy old bat now, and I don't give a stuff what she thinks any more. Spurious objections are not something that great neighbourly relations are built on.

Surely objections are confidential so your NDN will not know who objected!

The people who owned the large house opposite me wanted to convert it into an HMO and add more rooms. We already have car parking problems here and such a development is not in character with a family area. I encountered the planning officer while waiting for someone else and saw two other women watching me. When she had driven off they asked if I would come around and speak with their husbands that evening.

I found four couples at the house and we discussed how we were going to frame our arguments for a joint objection. The plans were refused, re-submitted a year later and refused again. More recently the house has sold. We are hoping that the new owner is a family person and not someone who wants to bring in a bunch of strangers who have no connection with the area.