Ok so what happens if you putin a listed building application but cannot get a reply/decision?!

[waitingpatientlynot]

This is the position we are in!

We want to do some work to renovate internally a rear extension that was never properly finished when it was erected in the 1960/70's.

We felt that it should not need listed approval for various reasons but were advised last november that we should apply anyway which we duly did.

Should have had a response by early feb, but nothing!

Have now e-mailed and telephoned 4 times but recieved no response. Apparently the person who was dealing with our 'case' has left and no-one else has been assigned to the case.

We has scheduled the work to start next month as that should have been plenrty of time to get approval/iron out any issues listed came up with.

Am totally fed up, I know that the council are struggling but if they want people to do things properly then they need to make sure they adhere to their own timescales!!

The room is uninhabitable and it looks like we will be ploughing ahead whatever now, another thing for me to stress about

So are you saying that they've exceeded their 8 week target for a reply, i.e. you put your application in early Dec?

My sister tells me that targets can, in this situation, be a real disincentive to deal with cases that are already late - basically, there's no way they can get your case off their 'failed timescale' list, so they're focusing on ones that they can 'succeed' with.

They're also struggling with staffing, as with a lot of public sector organisations, as people are not being replaced when they leave.

You shouldn't expect much less than 8 weeks at the moment, it seems, even for something very trivial. We just got a very small change accepted in approx 7.5 weeks, so I get the impression that in our region at least, things are very pressured in comparison to this time last year.

I believe that a written complaint / notice of the situtation to your local councillor and / or the Head of Planning will get someone assigned to make a decisision asap.

My sister tells me the way to get things done within the 8 weeks is to tactfully phone in week 6 to 'ask if there is anything you can do to help them with your case'. This acts as a reminder

HTH

hello
Thanks for the reply. Yes, we made our application at the beginning of december. We had a long discussion with the listed officer prior to this and basically explained that we were not removing or altering the fabric of the room, but simply covering the existing fabrics (concrete and 1970's plaster!!- and no proper ceiling) to bring it in line with building regs. He insisted that as there had been a 'structure' on the site of the rear extension since the 1860's (but importantly NOT the structure thats there now!!) it needed listed approval.

Ok fine but I now find out that he has been laid off and no-one has told us or even explained there may been a delay.

I do empathise with the cuts as i am a public sector worker also and it is affecting me directly also, but If I was laid off I would at ther least write to my clients to let them know and explain the plan for them going forward!!

This is so so frustating.

Its not Torfaen CBC is it? I know the fustration! Go there and turn up at the office and insist on seeing a senior officer. If its listed then it depends on whether they go to CADW or English heritage for approval.

I did quite a bit on e-mail so that speeded a bit up.