Talking to neighbours about extension plan

[glassbrightly]

We are looking at building on the side of our house. We will need planning permission and our architect suggested that we invite all those who could be impacted round for drinks to discuss.

We're fine doing that with our closest neighbours, we live on a smalll road and we are the last house, though in reality the building won't really impact them (beyond the inconvenience of building works).

The neighbours who are more impacted are those on the next street along. The area we would build on is at the back of their gardens (which are about 15-20 m long). Currently some of our windows look into their gardens, though this would be reduced with the build. They would of course have a building closer to the end of their property. This would not impact light into their gardens

It feels a bit overkill to invite these neighbours - we don't really know any of them becauce they are on a different road and one of them is a very elderly couple .

How did you all let people know about any plans ?

So (assuming you are in the U.K.) this is more complicated with covid etc. But, I do think it’s a good idea to let everyone know before planning goes in. At the moment I would knock on the door, introduce yourself and explain that you’re considering an extension and wanted to let them know before planning goes in. You could take a copy of the plans to show them and to discuss.

It’s worth remembering that even if they did object (as is their right), there are only a few valid reasons that could have any real bearing on permission, and it’s the planning officer who makes that call.

Sometimes people will object because they don’t want a building site, often with spurious reasons. You can’t do anything about that. Some people just don’t like change, and some people don’t care. Consulting them before planning goes in is a way to soften the blow because they will get a letter from the council.

They will get a letter from the council once you put planning in, so I'd contact them first. Asking them around for drinks seems excessive, and you can't do that at the moment anyway (England anyway). So do as @Flamingolingo says.

I dropped a copy of the plans round and knocked on the door to outline the plan. They could then look over the detail at leisure and no-one objected

Yes don't invite them all round (Covid or not), thats bizarre. Just knock on the doors with a copy of the plans (put your email or mobile number on them if you don't know them well), hand them over, try to show them what you're doing, assure them you'll minimise disruption etc, respect working hours etc, but if they've got any concerns, you're happy to discuss etc. You might need to consider a Party Wall agreement, if you do, assure the neighbour that you'll get everything in place etc.

We took plans round to our nearest neighbours, discussed what we were doing and pre-empted any issue they may have eg bathroom window that will overlook your garden will have obscured glass.

A few days prior to the work starting I took a bottle of wine and a card with our phone numbers to all the houses in the cul de sac and asked them to phone me if they had any issues while work went on. They were all brilliant and put up with multiple vans/skips without any complaint.

Its good to be neighbourly (inviting them round for a soiree seems a step further than needed though)

The house next door to us was empty to that wasn't an issue and our other adjoining neighbours we were on speaking terms to so just told them what was happening. For the two houses on the street behind us that back onto our garden (there is a public alley in between their garden and ours) we posted a letter through their door with a copy of our plans. We never heard anything from them and as our garden is in excess of 85ft long and their gardens only slightly shorter we didn't think our building would affect them

We just applied for planning, the council come round and put one of the yellow notice things outside your house somewhere, the neighbours can see it and then look in the councils planning portal for all the details.
If they don’t like them for whatever reason they can object. Never been round to tell any of our neighbours yet. I wouldn’t expect them to come round to our house either tbh if they were doing the same .

I would try and speak to them.

Our neighbours who are currently building a side extension up to our border introduced the idea, and themselves, by telling DH while he was putting the bins out "we are about to do our extension and your fence will be coming down"

Let's just say we haven't made it easy for them as a result.

My neighbour didnt give access through her back garden for the scaffolding. My builders had to cut the fence and use entrance through there to put scaffolding up.

I’d definitely put a note through their doors. Neighbours can be awkward, we spoke to ours about extending and he told us no, we would need to move. We left it as we entered the pandemic soon after the architect came out.

I let old neighbours know I was doing work and bought them chocolates.

With our last house I tried to let them know but then anything they did (including building work, parties) they didn't let me know so I didn't let them know.

Communication is really important but I don’t think hosting a drinks party is necessary!! Either a doorstep conversation or a note through the door with the link to the planning application is quite enough.