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.

On your property, if it is like for like repair, you don't need planing. If it has changed in size, position or materials, you would need planning as apartments dont carry traditional permitted development.

I would complain about the works to your property, completed by her as you would be shooting yourself in the foot as it is your responsability to rectify as current owner.

With respect to the pod / garden room, search 'permitted development technical guidance' for the rules. If its got sleeping accommodation, it is a no. Lots of rules around height. Also you could raise the issue of building regulations compliance if the rooms are heated.

There is also a time limit relating to works contrary to planning of something like 6 years + although there are complications if listed or a conservation area.

YANBU. You should report her.

However, regardless of how much you think the works needed to be done and how urgently (don’t leave them so long next time), you should have sought permission yourself so she isn’t to blame here.

Well report her if you want, but if you need advice on whether these things are permitted or not, this isn’t the place to come.

They’re saying they are using a stronger C word….

I'd be worried that the building is still structurally sound after the work she's done

What do you want to achieve OP? Have your neighbour's changes caused any problems for you? The changing of two units into one will be a nightmare when she comes to sell if she is in breach of planning, so I'd leave natural consequences to give her her comeuppance for that.

I can understand why you're cross, but unless the thing in the garden is an issue for you I don't think that reporting her will make your life better.

What the OP has done sounds like maintenance and repair, not development.

Yes it usually does.

YANBU she’s an idiot.

No strike through and it’s still readable.

The strike through is caused by using two hyphens - one either side of a phrase.

So the OP can repost without the hyphens.

This reminds me of the thread where half of the posters saw a totally different title for the thread to the other half. Something about windows, or spare rooms, or house layouts or who got which bedroom.

In my experience - particularly around listed buildings - every neighbour who put in a complaint about their neighbour had already breached regulations. They'd phone up and complain about something, wed investigate and then end up having to take action against the complainant. Complaints included stripping ivy and changing the character of a building - from someone who had added velux windows to her listed building without consent. And about neighbours putting up a purgola - by someone who had demolished a curtilage building.

Check out what you can and cannot do and then report your neighbour once you've regularised your own breaches!

Report her, dont give it if you cannot take it.

The reason for strikethrough on the app is that OP has used double-dashes (copied text below from the mobile site):

-- she's a bit off and is always having disputes

On the app the double-dashes create strikethrough so all the text between the two sets of dashes is like this

Sorry I posted without seeing this!

The building might have an article 4 direction, which means permitted development rights have been taken away. They need permission for any outbuilding and for converting two units into one. Or if it's been 4 years and they can prove this, they just need a certificate of lawfulness. Contact your local planning authority for advice.

Planning rules depend where in the UK you are, OP. They also change/have changed over time, so some of it might depend on when work was done.

I'd suggest contacting a qualified planning expert/architect to discuss. This kind of thing can be quite complicated.

www.gov.uk/planning-permission-england-wales

Completely unreadable

There is for me.

Apologies to those who see strikethrough. I have posted it below without the dash. Thanks to all who responded. To answer a few questions, it's not listed and the gardens are not communal so the structure is in her garden. I've got some great tips from you all here so many thanks.

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.

So what did you do in the end, Op?!

Hope you do report her, the busybody

You simple did like for like repairs, that were needed

I doubt that converting two flats into one big flat is permitted development . Nor that adding a large building shed used for living space into garden is permitted development, you can't do that if it it's less than 10m away or takes up too much proportion of the garden or it's an excluded property

www.sheds.co.uk/planning-permission

However if she did the first change many years ago- over 10, not sure they can enforce.

I would report her. She boasted about reporting you. She has altered her property more
Fair's fair

Yes report her. Otherwise she will escalate.