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Original poster

Has anyone had their neighbour object to a planning application?

153 replies

HeadFairy · 06/02/2015 20:47

How did you stop yourself from killing them Wink

Very frustrated, neighbours who previously said they would be fine with proposed building work have lodged an objection claiming their light will be adversely affected in their kitchen.

They are now totally avoiding us, our front doors face each other and three times today they've scuttled away when normally they'd stop to chat.

Not sure what I can do but sit and wait for the planning dept to make their mind up, but just wanted to vent.

Has anyone else had objections against their planning application and still gone on to win?

OP posts:
echt · 06/02/2015 21:02

No, but we objected to our NDNs. I can't imagine they were pleased, but they are courteous folk and we are still on excellent terms. Later they were glad we knocked them back as the renovations would have cost twice the sum, once they discovered the termite damage.

Your NDNs are undoubtedly embarrassed. So I'd do the cheery wave and hello.

NunoBettencourt · 06/02/2015 21:03

Yep. Had a fair few objections but planning came through a couple of months ago. Nearly ended up with it going to committee but the architect managed to get it to just be chairman sign off thankfully. Had to make a few adjustments before that point as well.

One neighbour still not happy but being all two faced about it and don't know about the others. Funnily enough the people it will affect most have been fine about it from the start!

I know I'll have to keep them all informed in a nice way to try and make the process not too awful for everyone, we are going to be neighbours after all (ours is a self build), but it'll be hard knowing the amount of crap being spoken behind our backs.

Maybe your neighbours are worried there will be a confrontation as they initially said no problem? Will it actually block their light? I'd say try and keep talking to them, maybe try and reassure them? I found people didn't always translate the plans into real life very well.

lastnightiwenttomanderley · 06/02/2015 21:10

In all seriousness, think about it from their point of view. Your changes are unlikely to improve things for them (though they might not make it worse) so what have they got to lose by objecting?

I'd be annoyed too, but afraid its the way of the world.

Floggingmolly · 06/02/2015 21:12

It may in fact make no difference as to whether permission is granted or not. You apparently have no right to light in law. As we found to our cost...

AndSheRose · 06/02/2015 21:20

Did you discuss your plans with them beforehand? Even if your proposals are rejected because of it you can appeal and win. Also, find out what you can do under permitted development - which might be similar and you need no 'permission' from anyone.

PigeonPie · 06/02/2015 21:22

These are the major planning issues which can be considered by the officers / committee:

loss of privacy/impact on residential amenity;
overshadowing/overbearing impact;
highway safety, traffic and parking issues;
noise;
visual amenity/street scene;
wildlife;
historic buildings and conservation;
flooding;
design and materials;
appearance of the development;
capacity of infrastructure - schools/public transport etc;

So Flogging I'm concerned that your loss of light didn't have an impact, unless the planning officer decided it wasn't going to be great.

It's always awkward when neighbours fall out over planning, but I can see why it happens. Often it's because 'all change is necessarily bad' and if the project is finally built it doesn't turn out to be that much of a problem.

I hope you are able to sort it out OP.

Original poster
HeadFairy · 06/02/2015 21:24

I do hope it won't sour our relationship because we love our road for its friendliness. They are new to the road, and are both civil servants so I do hope it's just a case of them being uber thorough.

I had a long chat with our architect today, of course there will be some effects, you don't change a building sufficiently to require planning permission without it slightly changing the surroundings, that's why we have the planning process, but I'm so convinced it's not going to affect them seriously. Today they had brilliant sunshine in their kitchen window at midday (we're raising the height of our roof by 1.4m so they're concerned they'll lose light in their kitchen) so even in winter the sun has rounded the house by midday - we all face South East so we have tons of light at the backs of the houses, where the kitchens are, so they really won't be badly affected, which is why I can't understand their objections.

I'm just so gutted now they're being all awkward with us. Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
HeadFairy · 06/02/2015 21:27

Thanks Pigeon....

Hopefully the design is sufficiently complimentary to the rest of the houses, we won't qualify under the permitted development rules sadly as we're raising the roof height.

The wait is going to be awful, if we don't get planning we'll have to move which will break my heart.

OP posts:
LondonGirl83 · 06/02/2015 21:33

You absolutely do have a right to light in law but insignificant changes to light are not grounds to turn down a planning application.

We actually had a neighbour object because they didn't understand how a slopped roof impacts shade. Their objection was ignored by the planners as it was baseless (the planners have rule of thumb tests they use to assess potential harm for neighbours' light).

Our neighbours told us they would object to one specific part of the application. We assured them the work would not harm their light but didn't try to convince them not to lodge the objection as we knew we were in the right.

Just stay friendly about the entire thing. You are about to cause them a tremendous amount of disruption.

Original poster
HeadFairy · 06/02/2015 21:37

LondonGirl... I will grit my teeth and smile at them Grin

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elastamum · 06/02/2015 21:43

One of my neighbours wrote an 8 page letter of objection to the planners about a stable block that I am building in my field. It is about 1/4 mile from their house and they cant even see it! He got ignored and they passed it, although we are expecting more trouble as every time anyone does any work on our house he comes out and take photos Angry

PaddingtonBlair · 06/02/2015 22:02

Our ex NDN objected to the council after regular long chats with us about what we were planning where he was happy about it all and nice and pie. Gutting at the time but then two things happened:

  1. We won (with some changes, but all acceptable to us) and
  2. The council put his letter online....he had only given himself headed paper and the title of landed gentry in the hope it would help his cause. He was definitely not a Lord! Just made himself look like a knob! may have screenshot his letter on social media
sockssandalsandafork · 06/02/2015 22:15

we are going through something similar Wink we are converting a detached garage at the back of the house into a granny flat and adding a pitched roof, the neighbour whos garden backs on to ours at the other side of where the garage is has lodged an 'objection' as he doesnt want fo see a gable end and it will block his view .... of the house behind us! bonkers if it affects our plans I will be so upset.

What does your architect think op? they usually have a pretty good idea of what will happen.

ohnoyou · 07/02/2015 07:05

Yes our neighbour who like yours initially said fine, then objected for the same main reason, lack of light in their kitchen. Our architect found the website 'find my shadow' where you can plot how the work will affect neighbouring properties. It showed our extension would have little impact on the neighbours so we submitted the findings with our application, which we believe helped us win planning.
We are now coming to the end of our build and TBH it's been hell. The neighbours have moaned and complained about everything. Our builders who have been brilliant tiptoe around them and we have virtually daily meetings with the builders about 'next door' We have done all we can to accommodate them and they have done everything they can to make things as difficult as possible for us. I estimate they've probably cost us an extra £2000 on our build.
Despite all that, we haven't actually 'fallen out' I still take in parcels for them etc. The lady of the house will sometimes smile and say hello, her new husband doesn't though, he blanks us and slams his car door in disapproval, which is a bit awkward.
Anyway op, I've blabbed on far too much. Good luck with yours and have a look at that website it might help your application.

Original poster
HeadFairy · 07/02/2015 08:18

Oooooh thank you for that ohno, that website looks really useful. I will pass it on to my architect and we can try and plot our house on there and see how it looks. The funny thing is we're only raising the roof height to the same height as the two houses either side, so we're not going to tower over anyone!

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Eastwickwitch · 07/02/2015 09:12

My neighbour objected to the loss of view (of our garden) from her bathroom window. It actually went to committee BF of chairman of PC. There was much discussion which ended when a blunt old chap pointed out we could paint a big tree in our garden that would totally block her view.

Another time another neighbour's architect made an appointment to discuss their proposed swimming pond. We were actually rather impressed that he'd taken the time to reassure us that we weren't at risk of flooding etc but slightly confused as to why he was so keen for our approval. Turns out my NDN, the same as above, had objected & he'd got us muddled up.

We've since moved away but left on friendly terms with all.

LondonGirl83 · 07/02/2015 09:52

If you are attached to you NDN in anyway, you might need a partywall agreement for your work (I don't know how extensive your plans are). Its worth being civil as they can make that process very slow and very expensive for you if they choose to.

Luckily neither of our neighbours did that. One waived it, the other was happy the use a shared partywall surveyor so all in all it wasn't too bad.

specialsubject · 07/02/2015 11:41

I'm objecting to a nearby application - I 'can't even see it' but it will have other effects (no details due to outing).

but if I see the applicant (I don't know him) I would be civil and I would expect him to be so too. The planning committee will decide although concreting over everything is the default position

In your neighbour's position, I would say 'you understand our concerns but we have to live next door so let's keep it civil'. Maybe a try a note to that effect?

lastnightiwenttomanderley · 07/02/2015 12:22

Ah yes....the good old Right to.Light which a) has some pretty strict criteria to.acquire in the first place and B) is not the same as a right to a view!

Woahbodyforrrrm · 07/02/2015 15:44

Our neighbours objected to our plans even though they had previously said they'd like to do the same extension at the same time therefore saving us both money. When the time came for us to go ahead with getting plans made, we approached them and they said though they'd love to do it, they didn't have the money. Anyway imagine our surprise when they objected to our plans. They never mentioned a word about it to us, though we see them everyday.

So I went on our local town page "......mums" the go to page for all local activities, recommendations, advice etc. Both of them are very active on this page. Knowing this I posted about how we were having issues getting permission to do our extension and if we couldn't get the plans, we were considering letting our house to a housing association. I basically asked for advice from other locals on doing this. Lo and behold, our plans went through swiftly after this.

Sometimes with neighbours it's just a case of sour grapes so it's best of rising above it though I couldn't resist winding the snobby pair up.

Original poster
HeadFairy · 07/02/2015 21:24

Londongirl, our houses aren't attached, so no party wall agreement needed thankfully!

Woah.... ?? Nice one! I did think in one of my weaker moments if we're forced to sell because we can't get the planning permission then I'll have to find a trumpet player, or a drummer to sell the house to ????

I did speak to them today, I said we were adjusting our drawings this week to appease one of their objections. He said he would show us the letter he was sending to the council before he sent it. He was a bit surprised to learn that I'd see it anyway, as all representations are made fully public. But at least they're trying to be nice. Relations are definitely much more strained than before though. Hmm

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SASASI · 07/02/2015 21:37

Yup, we are waiting on planning permission after NDN sent an objection letter with lots of bits blacked out because it was too vulgar to be uploaded on the planning portal lol.

Architect made sure our plans met all planning legislation. They have had their objectors meeting & it's got really dirty with them citing health issues now as their reason because their earlier objections have all been answered and stand for Jack Shit. However health reasons within an urban context also mean Jack Shit. It's going to MLA when we will apparently get full permission.

We don't live in the property, it's an absolute wreck but we've had workers do bits n pieces & the neighbours have glared at them so I've kept a record of all these instances as they are going to be a fucking nightmare.

As another poster said, the neighbours who will be slightly over looked (we are on a hilly bit of the road) havnt objected.

They are costing us time & money & with a baby it's far from ideal but it will be worth it when finished. We will just take absolutely nothing to do with them & if I ever catch them in nosying when build happening I will rate great delight in telling her to get off my land before I kick their arse

shanghaismog · 08/02/2015 10:01

Hollow laugh....nothing like a bit of building work to bring out the best in people.... You do have to wonder what drives some people! I do also love that all correspondence with regards to objections is fully visible to all on the planning portal.

ohnoyou · 08/02/2015 10:23

It's not fair our council doesn't show the objections on their website, I would love to have a read. Being as we were the only house out of the 10 extensions on our road this year that had to have not 1 but 2 bat surveys, I'm sure their letter was lengthy!

PigeonPie · 08/02/2015 14:43

ohno - surely all correspondence relating to a planning application should be up on your planning portal? Otherwise you are perfectly within your rights to request it under the freedom of information act. Well worth asking your planning authority why it isn't there in the first instance.