Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

to wonder if the new next-door neighbour's building plans are a bit ott?

52 replies

beatrice14 · 07/07/2021 15:12

They're a couple with a toddler. They sounded very nice when they phoned up initially. But then they moved out after 2 days and sent my mum (I'm 15) about some building work they wanted to do before they moved in. We thought that was fine, just a bit of tapping etc. But then they emailed my mum saying that they want to build a basement, a hut at the bottom of the garden, replace all the windows, and a couple of other things. They said that to do this they would need

builders, lorries and bulldozers from 8 am to 6 pm,from September 2021 to August 2022. I understand that they want to make their new house perfect, but the timing isn't ideal as I have to take my GCSEs in 2022, and it would disrupt my mum's work (she currently works from home as a tutor) it it's really loud. Hopefully I will not have to do remote learning next school year as they anticipate it'll be very noisy. My mum is considering complaining, as are some other neighbours. However, she is not sure if they would just ignore any protest and do it anyway. are we BU or are they? Thank you for reading!

OP posts:

CruCru · 07/07/2021 15:18

Hi beatrice

Do the neighbours need planning permission? The thing that jumped out at me was putting in a basement - that’s a big job. Do the neighbours share a wall with you?

I do hope that you don’t have to do online learning next year. Is it worth asking them to ensure it doesn’t take place at the weekends? You’ll be at school in the day (although that doesn’t help your mum if she works from home in the day)

InDogBeersIveOnlyHadOne · 07/07/2021 15:19

Who gave them your phone number in the first instance before they'd even moved in?

Original poster

beatrice14 · 07/07/2021 15:29

Thanks for the replies! Cru, Yes, they are asking my mum for planning permission. Can it be withheld? She seemed to think they could override her even if she refused it, not sure if that's true. They share the whole of the left side of our house. They said in the plans they would work Saturday morning too, but not the rest of the weekend.
InDog, sorry, to clarify, they posted a card through our letter-box first, giving their number and email, and moved in for 2 days. We sent out number and they rang up. Then 2 days later, they moved out and emailed the building plans.

OP posts:

SeasonFinale · 07/07/2021 15:36

They will need to have a party wall agreement if you are a semi detached house. Your mum is entitled to have a surveyor that they have to pay for.

I am fairly certain they won't be able to put in a basement at all as it would affect the foundations and they will need planning permission from the council for at least some of that work.

Please get your mum to ask about a party wall agreement and when they intend to apply for planning permission which she can object to.

motogogo · 07/07/2021 15:41

It all needs to go to planning (U.K.) if a basement. Getting permission by July next year is optimistic!

Party wall agreement must be in place, lots of people on here have experience. She needs to email them and ask for copies of the full plans with structural engineers report before she can comment further. Also mention that they will need to pay for the party wall survey down the line

Wilkolampshade · 07/07/2021 15:43

Hi Beatrice.
If the work falls within Permitted Development rights they probably don't need any planning permission although if there is excavation you should have had notice for this as well as the option of having a Party Wall Award drawn up.
Windows unlikely to need any formal notice.

Doublestar · 07/07/2021 15:44

What do you mean they're asking your mum for planning permission?
The local planning authority will decide on permission - not the next door neighbour😂

The bottom line is that the neighbours who are informed of the plans can put in an objection but ultimately it's up to the planners and there's nothing your mum can do about it if it is accepted I'm afraid.

GreyhoundG1rl · 07/07/2021 15:50

Let your mum deal with it... 😂
She will not be the one granting permission. Bless.

WhereDoILook · 07/07/2021 15:50

@Doublestar

What do you mean they're asking your mum for planning permission? The local planning authority will decide on permission - not the next door neighbour😂

She's 15. I'm assuming she doesn't know the ins and outs of planning applications.

Beatrice they may have to apply to the local council for planning permission depending on what they are having done. I'd guess they are letting her know their intentions hoping that she will agree and not put in an objection which the council would have to look into.

FlorrieLindley · 07/07/2021 15:54

Hi Beatrice, sounds like a potential nightmare. However, it's not your mum who gives them permission - they have to get planning permission from the local council. Which means subjecting plans etc.

youaresunshine · 07/07/2021 15:55

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Doublestar · 07/07/2021 16:02

She's 15. I'm assuming she doesn't know the ins and outs of planning applications

Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart - I missed that bit!

WaltzingBetty · 07/07/2021 16:06

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Quotes deleted post

wormshuffled · 07/07/2021 16:06

Hiya
If you head to your local district council website and look for the planning section, you should be able to search by your street.

If planning permission has been applied for you will see this. There will be a date in order for comments to be made in support or to object to the planning permission.

Your mum would need to make sure any comment is relevant, or it will not be accepted. Google relevant planning objections. You can't just say I don't want it without relevant reasons. Good luck.

Original poster

beatrice14 · 07/07/2021 16:07

Thanks again! This is really helpful. I'm afraid that I got a bit mixed-up. I checked with my mum and they have asked for a party wall agreement, not planning permission! She is worried that the council would grant panning permission, but if it might take ages, that's fine. She's going to ask for the full plans.

OP posts:

WaltzingBetty · 07/07/2021 16:11

Also building a basement and a shed doesn't take a year of working 10 hours/day.
It's not even realistic

I'd love to know the type of property that allows a basement to be dug without disrupting existing footings and has access for a bulldozer - what are they using that for out of interest? Their construction plans are oddly specific

ikeepseeingit · 07/07/2021 16:18

If they ask your council for planning permission the council will send out a letter to their closest neighbours ( you included) and your mum will be able to object and state her reasons why. If you haven't yet had a letter from your council it means your neighbours haven't sent an application in, or the council haven't got around to looking at it to send them out. You can google planning applications by typing in their address and then the word 'planning' afterwards. Or look it up here planning.org.uk/ .

Your mum will need to sit down and have a look at relevant planning objections that she can use if she's decided she's unhappy with it going ahead. planninglawblog.blogspot.com/p/how-to-object.html That link has a lot of useful information too.

MatildaTheCat · 07/07/2021 16:27

Given the scale of the work they are proposing and the amount of time it takes to get full plans drawn up and then go through Planning it’s very unlikely they will be starting anything significant in September this year.

If and when your mum makes any objections ( I would!) they need to be relevant so make sure she gets advice from the planning department on how to object successfully. Most people will be granted some of their plans if not all. The process can take absolutely ages.

Snoken · 07/07/2021 16:38

Our neighbours are doing something similar (excavating + extension) and it took the 15-16 months to get planning permission. If they have only just moved in there is no way they can start in September this year.

chesirecat99 · 07/07/2021 16:47

They may already have planning permission. You should have been notified by the council when they applied but it is possible the letter got lost or it got thrown away as junk mail. Your DM needs to check the local council planning portal. If they haven't applied yet, she can object to planning permission being granted but there are only limited grounds for objection. She would need to research that.

prettys.co.uk/articles/submitting-valid-objections-planning-applications

Your DM needs to get professional advice on the party wall agreement. The neighbours will have to pay for the costs of a surveyor for you. It is also possible to include things in a party wall agreement about the timing of works to minimise disruption eg working around your GCSE dates so they aren't doing very noisy work during that period. Your DM might be able to claim compensation for loss of trade as well.

arunassociates.co.uk/party-wall-compensation-and-inconvenience-all-you-need-to-know/

Disfordarkchocolate · 07/07/2021 16:57

It may also be worth her (and any other neighbours that plan to object) paying for a planning consultant.

Freddiefox · 07/07/2021 17:03

Hi,

It might or might not be relevant, but think about scaffolding.. will they be asking to put poles on your property. If so.. how long, what happens if it’s damaged, or your patio is damaged. What if it over runs..

billyt · 07/07/2021 17:12

If the neighbours are anything like the 'developer' changing a 3-bedroom house to a 6-bedroom HMO near me they won't even bother with PWA or permission.

Get your mum to check the council planning applications.

She can object on there as long as her objections are reasonable.

billyt · 07/07/2021 17:13

Sorry, sent too soon.

She can object on there. As long as her objections are reasonable they can take these into account.

Good luck.

Original poster

beatrice14 · 07/07/2021 17:28

Thanks for all the advice! I will post more detail later, I did make a few mistakes, so sorry for the confusion. They haven't put an application through yet.
Waltzing, I appreciate the details sound odd and I will check, I'm pretty sure of the working hours and the time frame. They want to do more than a hut, basement and windows, I will check with my dm what the other things are.

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3