AIBU to report my CF neighbour CF for doing the same thing she's reported me for to Planning?

[DividedHouses]

We own part of a big old house which is divided into five "residential units" really mini houses- we each have our own front/back doors and front/back gardens. We're on one end. Over the last few years we've done some like-for-like replacements (leaky oil tank, falling down porch and steps). The adjoining neighbour put in a complaint to planning (and told us she'd done it -- she's a bit off and is always having disputes with the nice old chap the other side of her). We didn't worry thinking everything we had done fell squarely under permitted development since she's the type to report you if your bin's a bit dirty.

Wrong! Letter from planning tells us permitted development doesn't apply in divided houses and now we need retrospective planning for it all. Would she/planning have preferred us to let the old oil tank leak, the porch fall down altogether (rotting!) and my older spouse break his neck on the steps (one was missing!)? Anyway.... so the letter recommends we hire a specialist firm and get plans drawn up and request permission for what we already did.

Irony is this CF has built one of those wooden shed/pod things at the end of the garden telling everyone it's permitted development..it's large and has a veranda and 3 rooms!

AND she originally bought two of the little houses we all live in and converted them into big one, again telling us all it was permitted development.

WIBU to report her? And if I do, does anyone know planning rules for subdivided houses? Can you build a wooden hut in your garden under permitted development if you live in a divided house? Can you combine two houses into one under permitted development if they are part of a divided house?

She did both of these things more than four years ago -- does the four year rule apply (if not reported in four years they let it go)?

Thanks for replying if you have any insights! I'm resigned to spending money we haven't got to fix the problem and get retrospective approval, but I'd like to either report her or let her know she's reporting us for stuff she's done that she shouldn't (if that's the case...)

Voting:
YANBU Report the CF.
YABU No, don't report her - two wrongs don't make a right.

Hell yes I’d report her, play her at her own game

Report her but don't tell her that you have done so.

No strike through on my device.
If she has converted 2 properties into one she would have needed planning permission.
This information can be obtained on gov.uk .
I would phone you local council for advice.

I think it's highly unlikely that she has done this legitimately as the application for change of purpose/ structural changes would gave been made public and you and your neighbours would have been informed about the proposed application.
She sounds batshit.
Most councils are massively understaffed and I wouldn't take their advice as gospel in our current climate.
I would ask for a meeting in person with someone from the planning department. I'd ask CF if they would like to attend the meeting too.
Are you freehold or leasehold?

I’m on the desktop version on an iPhone and there’s no strike through on mine, so it’s not something the op has done. @mnhq is there a problem/glitch with the app?

So sorry some (but not all) of you on the app are seeing strikethrough. I didn't do any strikethrough and I wrote it on a computer. Been here for years although name changed for this post (are Mexican House Thief, Naice Ham, Cutted up Pears still the passwords?) so understand how to do and not to do strikethrough.

I am appreciating all the advice! Fingers crossed someone from a planning office or a solicitors who know the planning rules might check in at some point and give me a take also.

And to answer PP, we're Freehold.

Report it. If she's so concerned regarding the rules, then she has to be willing to follow them too, and if her improvements don't, then she needs to apply too.

Is your property a listed building / in a conservation area or have you had your permitted development rights removed?
This will significantly affect what you can or cannot do.
Who at the Council have you spoken to? Is it an Enforcement Officer, Planning Officer or Conservation Officer?

I can read it perfectly clearly

How interesting, I'm on the android app and no strike through. Perhaps it's on the ios app only?

Anyway- YANBU OP. How ridiculous to report you for replacing such simple things.

well you could report her and find out that she had permission?

So in your shoes i'd ask her to see the planning permission for her work. At the same time go back to the council and explain about what you have done with like-for-like, which companies did it etc and see if they'll give you planning permission based on that.

Or bite the bullet this time and get a specialist firm in to check the work you've done and any remedial work that would bring it into line for what was needed (planning wise) and be wise for next time?

(also for those seeing strikethrough - why not report it in the Site Stuff topic?)

I have.

Strikethrough in op www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/4712842-strikethrough-in-op

Thread started at 5.17am

She would have had to have planning for the works in the houses, do you know she didn’t apply & have consent? Check the planning portal.

The outbuilding, could be permitted development, the rules surrounding this can also be viewed online, basically, height mustn’t be over a certain measurement, can’t take up more than a certain percentage of the garden and must be a certain measurement away from the boundary. However if the outbuilding is in a conservation area, AONB etc planning permission may be required. The only thing you need to consider should you report it, is that she may find out it’s you.

Personally I would have at least enquired with the council about the works you did to find out if it was permitted before you did it especially rebuilding the porch, but I think you're going to have to report her now. Be careful however not to get drawn into a tit for tat dispute that you end up having to declare if you sell as it could put buyers off.

wow - is the three-room-shed-with-a-verrandah in a communal garden?

knocking two homes into one sounds way bigger than repairing a front step - report the issues.

Unless it’s listed and if it really was like for like (exact same materials and appearance) then it’s unlikely you needed permission. I would try to speak to planning enforcement to clarify.

She would definitely need planning to convert two houses into one. Has she even registered them? You could spend £3 on the deeds for her house from the land registry to find out. You get a PDF outlining the boundary etc. She could be claiming discounts for council tax she isn't entitled to etc.

I don't get any strikethroughs - on a laptop using edge browser

It means cheeky fucker?

You have nothing to lose by reporting it.

They do if it turns into a dispute and they can't sell.

I'd be down to the planning office to report her so fast you wouldn't see me for dust. What a mean spirited woman she sounds , she needs to learn that when you play stupid games you win stupid prizes . Definitely do not tell her if you do .

YANBU, she sounds awful, but have you tried speaking to her?