Getting planning permission. Neighbour 'consultation'- but they're tenants, not the owner!

[Tansie]

What happens when you know your neighbour, the only person who could possibly have any 'interest' in your garage conversion, is a tenant? Presumably the actual owner of a property needs to be told to allow them to comment as part of the public consultation process?

Is it the tenant's responsibility to hand the notice to is agent/landlord? I have no idea who they might be.

OR does he not have to involve the owner at all seeing as our building work will affect him, as he lives there, not the owner who I think lives in Jersey!?

I think the letter gets sent to the residents only. If so, unless the protest, then I wouldn't stress about it.

OK, I see! I must admit that as I was typing my OP, it suddenly occurred to me that I might be completely wrong about the owners of a house having to be given an opportunity to comment, especially seeing as they don't have to live next to it!

My neighbour has applied for permission to do something and I have a letter from the council about it.

It is addressed to "Owner/Occupier" and says, among other things:
"If you do not own the property you occupy, the owner's views would also be appreciated. In such circumstances, I would be grateful if you would forward this letter to the owner"

So, what smalltown says. I am owner-occupier and am in favour of the proposal so I haven't replied.

Planning permission they will send a general letter to the address as part of the consultation. The more complicated bit is the Party wall agreement (if you require one - work to party wall or will affect the foundations, there is a guide to what is covered) you need to serve to both tenant and owner.

Thanks, that's very helpful, everyone.

I hope this isn't going to be at all contentious. We're converting our integral garage, leaving the up and over door in place but the only 'thing' that will change, externally, is the addition of a 115cm square window on the side external wall. Our detached house is a mirror of our (only) neighbour. 2 parallel access paths run between the houses, his and mine, and they're separated with a 6 for high wooden fence. Our new window will pretty much open onto this fence. On both houses, the only other 'feature' on our facing walls are our utility room doors which face each other but I can only see the top foot or so of his and thus he can only see the top foot of mine, iyswim.

I can't see that there'll be a problem but I was concerned that it could go 'all legal' if it were my responsibility to find the neighbour's owner for comment!

I would like to think that you would take the tenant's viewpoint into consideration. Afterall it's the tenants who live next door and are probably paying a high rent to do so. Our family are privately renting and shortly after we moved in our friendly neighbour erected a massive conservatory with a gorgeous breeze-block wall running adjacent to 'our' garden. Not only has this blocked out a lot of sunlight but they haven't bothered to render the wall so it's pretty ugly. This was 4 years ago and the neighbour is in dispute with our landlord. Needless to say we're the ones who've had to put up with this but being 'mere tenants' nobody seems that bothered! Luckily we'll be moving on soon and then the landlord/neighbour will be forced to deal with the issue as they should!