Neighbour wants to build 10 houses next to us

[buckwheat]

Our neighbour submitted planning application for a 10 houses to be built in his garden. He is on the hill higher and further back than us, those houses would be all sitting above us looking in our back garden. I thought something like that could happen as his garden is huge but I thought maybe 2-3 houses that would be tucked away. Currently it’s only his house and it is far away from us hidden by the trees.
I can’t see an actual application on the portal yet.
his driveway goes along our house too, so it will be busy road with all those households. What can we do? We are devastated :(

https://www.proficiencyltd.co.uk/architect/valid-reasons-to-object-to-planning.html

You need to write an objection, and hit as many of the points on the attachment as possible.

Has it actually been formally submitted yet or just ndn suggesting it to you or rumour? Don't panic. You could object on grounds of out of keeping with area, parking/access/traffic movements, overdevelopment of green space, overbearing on neighbouring properties etc. Is it greenbelt, sssi or aonb? Might it impact drainage and flood risk for properties below? Is there a local plan which highlights this as a potential site? Ask for conditions such as retention of trees (have any got tpos?)

Contact your local councillor for support and to press for it to go to a full committee meeting. They may not succeed this time with 10 but might in future for fewer. Possibly if they got any outline pp it could be sold to a developer who any seek to vary what is approved.

You can appeal and your appeal will be considered along with his application. If he's building 10 houses he's got money. If he's got money he's potentially able to bribe the planning officer. It's shit.

@tescocreditcard a development that size is unlikely to be determined by a singular planning officer and more than likely speculative to sell to a developer (perhaps with an uplift clause for applicant)

He has submitted the application as our neighbour on another side got a letter from the council with the application reference number but I can’t find it on the portal. We didn’t get the letter yet.

I don’t think he has money, I think he will sell. Something similar happened to the house couple doors away.

If the traffic to the new houses has to go via his driveway, that suggests there isn't the appropriate infrastructure in place for that number of houses. What happened with the house a couple of doors down? How many new houses were added? If something does get built that overlooks your property and is within a certain distance, the planning approval might stipulate that there are no windows on that side of the houses.

Do you have a parish council (or similar?) Where we live, any planning applications go to them and their views are considered by the planning officer, so it’s worth raising your concerns.

chances are the whole section will be redeveloped and its unlikey the height angle will make a difference

If a letter has gone out then the application has been validated (and has a reference number). The decision clock has now started. If you feel that a permission would be extremely detrimental to your property/the area then it is worth employing a planning consultant to prepare an objection on your behalf.
and ignore the PP who said that they would bribe the planning officer. FFS.

Parish council only has the same representation for objection as an individual resident. By all means attend the meeting where it will be considered and have a say. The Lola councillor for the determining body(District/Borough council usually) can get have a more direct discussion with planners and speak at any committee where it is discussed(unless already sitting on it). If it goes to a Planning committee meeting residents can also ask to speak.

yes Traffic would go through his driveway.

Another house on the street only had PP for 1 additional house. It was sold to the family though and they kept it as it is - just a big garden.

You can object/comment on the plans. As previous poster mentioned there are only certain points you can object on but you can comment and say why it shouldn’t be permitted.

I would rush to sell before it's official!

Is the second house deemed ancillary to the original in that case? Might be worth looking at what issues were raised and mitigated on that application, which is probably still online.

Hilarious that you think a planning officer can be bribed!

You’ve got 2 options - appeal and hope or sell asap

Also, where’s your diagram???

It is not an appeal, but an objection - make sure you use the word itself whatever comments you submit, An appeal is after a determination.

That would be my first instinct, but then I'd probably calm down and do whatever I could to mitigate whatever is being proposed. It's always possible that it won't be as bad as the OP fears. In any case, potential buyers will find out that the development is likely / possible. If it turns out to be unbearable, then I would consider moving. Anyone buying into the area at that point won't have any knowledge of what the area was like before the development, and so it may not have the same negative effect for them.

Hilarious that you think a planning officer can be bribed!

Oh bless you for thinking they can't be 😂

You have nothing to lose by making an objection. Try and hit as many material planning objections as you can. Contact your councillor and ask them to call it in to committee (although it may well go to committee anyway).

They are probably starting as large as poss but if there are valid objections, the proposed development may be scaled down.

This is nonsense.

You can’t appeal but you can object. You can also register to speak against it at committee. Planning officers cannot be bribed. It’s a democratic process under close scrutiny. The idea they’re given backhanders is just silly.

Hilarious that you think this doesn't go on.

How would it work then?
‘Here PO, have a great big cheque to pass my application. Yes, I know there’s lots of other agencies involved in the application, but I’ll pay all of them off too.’
’ooh thanks applicant, plans approved’
Then at appeal, it’s clear the PO has illegally approved the plans against the planning rules and loses their job.

Have you got proof? Because if you have substantiated evidence of this happening, I’m happy to be corrected.