Building with no Planning Permission - council not acting

[pinkfrocks]

Reported a neighbour's extension ages back to local planning office- talking 9 months and nowt done- emails ignored.
Had a reply about 3 months back that they'd asked him to submit an application imminent. No more news and no reply to my email around 2 weeks back.
Anyone know how to escalate this and complain to someone who is not useless? I am fearful they will ignore and it will just slip through the net.

Keep on at the local council Enforcement Officer and if you get no luck there speak to the Head of Development Control or Planning (titles vary from Council to Council).
Keep an eye on the Council web site to make sure that an application hasn't been submitted - not all Councils specifically write to neighbours anymore, although if they don't there should be a site notice displayed on a nearby lamppost or similar.
Also contact your local Councillors - details should be on the Council website. They are the people elected to represent you so make them do some work. they can chase things or you at the Council offices.

Oh - should have said, it's probably better to keep ringing rather than emailing. Less easy to ignore

The guy at the council did say we'd be informed- I queried it in an email.

Thanks

What is the problem with the extension? many small extensions come under the umbrella of permitted developments now (which makes my face go ) What are you wanting to acheive?

lem not all houses have permitted development rights. We don't so the extension we built had to have planning permission but we didn't pay the fee.

pink I would ring and badger the same person week in week out. Once these things are up they are hard to amend or take down.

i just wondered if that was the reason for no permission in the first place. foolish of them to try with no planning.

OP said that the Council had asked for an application to be submitted. They wouldn't do that if the extension was pd.

Not going to go into details here because of anon reasons etc but believe me the structure need PP. I sussed this out beforehand the council agreed.

Hi - I recently succeeded in getting my neighbours to remove a similar structure that they put up without PP, but it was a long haul, almost 11 months.

I had a couple of points that went in my favour: 1. there was demonstrable noise and nuisance as a result of the structure which meant we took a higher priority against other enforcement cases and 2. the structure was relatively temporary and easy to remove.

What are your grounds for objection?

In the end, I think our success was due to putting a lot of pressure on the council. I emailed them weekly each time there was a new development until they responded with the answers I wanted. I also went through the complaints procedure each time they ignored my emails. I got two local councillors on side and copied them in each time I emailed the council. They intervened several times to force the council to act and even took my case to the mayor. I also contacted my local residents amenity society for advice - they were very sympathetic and they helped me negotiate the planning system and write great objection letters.

It was all worth it as I am really enjoying living in my place now this thing is gone... also I laugh in my neighbours' face every time I see them and think of the thousands they spent on architects, planning consultants, solicitors and workmen putting the thing up and taking it down again. Petty but fair after them making my life hell for 11 months!

Good luck!!

As my local council planning dept EVENTUALLY said to me, "We just dont have the money to pursue these things in court". At which point I gave up on objecting....

I would send another email to the planners, telling them that due to the lack of response you are going to take it to your local councillor if you don't hear within 3 weeks.

Councils have had huge cutbacks and planning departments are really struggling right now. A lot of people are doing what used to be the work of two, so it's not surprising that standards of service are slipping. I do feel sorry for them, but appreciate that you also really need an answer!