planning permission question???

[blushingm]

We had a house built next door to ours about 5 years ago - we never rec'd anything regarding applications and kew nothing about it til they started building.

I've recently been told we should have had letters etc from the council when they applied etc. If we had known we would have raised some objections - is there anything we can do or would we be able to make any claim for compensation or anything?

I think you'll struggle tbh. It probably depends on how close the property is to yours as to whether you had to be specifically notified or if the site notices (usuaally stuck on gateposts or lampposts outside) and listing in local paper would suffice. You presumably didn't speak to the council when you first noticed the buidlers start.

Won't you have trouble proving you were never notified? I mean, it was 5 years ago. Is there any reason why you didn't do anything before?

The first question will be why did you not research the application when building started and raised any objections then. Five years of ignoring the objections and living with them is going to be hard to prove a case for compensation.

legally they display notice of intention to build etc. usually stuck to lamp posts and ignored by all! This is when you raise any objections. Unless they admit they did not follow these procedures (very unlikely!) you havent a snowballs chance. You dont get individual letters usually even if its a major proposal like road building.