Neighbours work carried out different to original plans.

[Itsanadventure]

I live in a semi detached, we received plans that the adjoining neighbour was wanting to extend the back of his house by several metres & build a room over the garage.
This work was carried out over the space of 18 horrible months where the gardens to front & back were & still are building sites.
The actual work carried out is very different to the actual original plans flat roof/slanted roof, several parts where walls are built a feet or two further than supposed to be & windows put in that were not included in the plans.
I have had 2 years where I was unable to enjoy my garden as fences were removed and parts of my plants/trees removed and had noise at unpredictable times from the on/off work.

These issues were reported and I’ve now had another letter that permission is being requested for the work as it is now and I’ve been advised that it’s usually granted in cases like this.
surely this cannot be allowed whereby work is done incorrect purposely and then just granted.

Object on any relevant grounds. Especially if the windows remove your privacy.

Don’t give permission, employ a structural surveyor for a couple of hours show them plans and ask them to compare. Sounds like they have made a bloody mess and are quickly trying to push h to rough an adapted plan. Don’t go for it, you could have your property sale and price negatively affected.

Yes that’s definitely what they are trying to do, some of the work makes no sense it’s bonkers and definitely will affect my house price as it’s completely a botch job

Technically the council should determine the application as it would be if it hadn't already been built.
Realistically it is unusual for applications like this to require that the extension be returned to the approved form, although it does happen.
They can require changes to be made so if for example the new windows overlook your property/garden the council could require them to be frosted glass, or get them removed.
Unfortunately, the impact on the value of your house is not something that is considered under the planning process.

Presumably this retrospective pp for the differences. You need to object on planning grounds, not subjective concerns such as your saleability or property value. Cite problems like additional windows overlooking, roof alignment etc,

But if it's so obviously against the plans that were agreed surely that's wrong and you can go back to the planning apartment and object?

I would imagine this application is either the result of enforcement action or preemptive of such.

Sadly planning committees often allow things retroactively that they wouldn’t have in the first place as it is too much hassle to take legal action to enforce it.

OP I would encourage you to write to the planning dept with a detailed description of the changes, how they breach planning regulations and any impacts this will have on you and other neighbours e.g. overlooking from windows that were not in the plans.

The people who live at the rear of our garden did similar . They started building , it was different to the plans . They then put in retrospective planning for the changes from the original passed plans and it came back with conditions that certain things needed to be returned to how they were originally passed and that they couldn’t use the roof as a balcony / roof garden . They’ve never made the changes so it’s never been signed off . They don’t use the roof though which was the only bit that bothered us . I assume they won’t be able to sell as is because in theory they have an illegal extension so at the very least they’d have to go back to try and get planning again .

Many years ago the house behind us was building an extension and we realised that the brickwork to a widow facing us was being built leaving room for a window which wasn’t on the plans. We saw the neighbour who tried to say the window was in their plans and so we said ‘the window wasn’t in the plans you submitted’ and so the neighbour conceded and there was no window! It beggars believe that anyone could be so cheeky!!,,

After a certain amount of time they’ll just buy an indemnity policy against the council demanding any changes if they sell.

@ThatIsNotMyNameSoWhyAreYouCallingMeThat possible yes but that could put off some potential buyers .