New house build 2 doors away - Big concerns - Any one who can help please?

[Hocoloco]

Hello,
I'm looking for some advice from anyone 'in the know', to please help with the concerns I have. I live in a row of 4 houses. The house at one of the ends, is owned by a man who inherited it some years ago. For the last 4-5 yrs he has been renting it out, however at the back end of last year it became apparent that whilst he wishes to keep renting out the house, he wishes to demolish a double garage on the plot and have a second house built there! End houses are known for having a bigger gardens and a little extra land - and that is the case here. However, another house would be really pushing it and leave no room to turn cars around etc. The owner sold the land to an independent person and he in turn will be selling it on to someone else who wants to 'self build'. Personally, I would prefer no new house there in the first place. I'm anticipating the noise pollution, dirt, the look of it and generally the worry about whether heavy lorries going back and forth on a small path, will cause damage to the path itself or more importantly to the foundations of the existing houses. Plus all the safety concerns to people, animals and the wildlife. The rhetoric being put out is that this helps the local council fulfil their house building criteria ; but this is about money. As yet, I have received no official communication from the council (only from the man who purchased from the owner and plans to sell it on to the person who wants to build on it.) However, i was informed of a notice stuck on a lamp post mentioning the proposed self build. This is the first I had heard of it being a self build and it concerns me greatly. Will this be allowed to happen? If someone sells land for a self build are there rules in place that govern time frames etc? I cannot bear the thought of a self build going on for possibly years if it's a part time project. How can I reasonably object with a good chance of it being refused. All information gratefully received. Thanks.

I would be taking a photograph of the notice on the lamp post and emailing it over to the planning department at the council and asking what’s going on here
Literally the only way you’re going to find out

I don't understand how it would stop you turning your car around, unless you're turning round on his land.

The person building the house will need to get planning permission. You should be able to check under your postcode on your council's website.

As far as I'm aware there are no rules about how long someone can take to build a house - but obviously the person building it has an interest in finishing it as soon as they can.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I will do. Just feel so helpless. We have had several hundred new houses built very near us, over the last 18 mths -2 yrs (with more to come on another site); so I know that the council won't be worried one house near me. But, I feel that the owner has not been transparent in his intentions; there has been no communication from him directly and what we have heard is now being leaked in dribs and drabs - first it was that the land was being sold to enable the building of 'a new house'; then the next thing we learn is that the person he is selling to, is not the new house builder but rather a middle man, who saw the land and offered the owner for it and intends to sell it on ; and now we hear that the person who eventually buys from the middle man will be self building. I'm exasperated at the lack of clarity - too secretive. And we have just a couple of weeks to object. All this and I still haven't received an actual letter from the council yet. I think it's disgraceful. If anyone can offer me any rules or regulations that I can quote I would be really grateful. This palava is already affecting being quite detrimental to my mental health and wellbeing .

Self build doesn’t mean DIY usually just that it’s one owner commissioning one house for themselves.

check your local planning portal to see if permission has been applied for

Sorry, I should have clarified. I'm not needing to turn my car around on the owner's land myself but as it is a very narrow thoroughfare, and we have a fair few delivery vans and royal mail vans driving up it most days, I can only assume that once a new house is built there and there is no room to turn, that said vehicles will have to reverse out. This is rather fraught as the path opens out onto a busy junction and children often walk past on their way to school. I am fearful of a possible accident.

Thanks Nelly for clarifying that.

Highway safety is a planning consideration and should be considered by the highways team as part of an application. They will see if mitigations needs to be in place but it will be considered more along the lines of “will temporary addition of a few builders vans and then long term a car or two vastly increase the risk from this road in comparison with the status quo”

Why are you so bothered by this ? It’s just 1 house, not a whole development on your doorstep.

I don't suppose it is the landowners job to provide a turning point on his land. In my experience the planners won't really worry about how it affects you, currently have nearly 400 houses being built at the rear of my house and they've set up their "builders yard" directly behind my house. Planning says they can't start work till 8 am but they arrive any time from 7.15 and start their machines up but they aren't working so we can't stop them. I dread hot sunny weather as the dust is terrible. I've had pneumonia and I'm sure what I'm breathing jn isn't helping.

So far we've had this for 30 months and nowhere near finished so I sympathise.

They will need to apply for planning permission. Presumably the notice you saw was information about that planning permission.

You need to go onto the planning portal and look at the details there. You should be able to see the plans and usually a planning statement that summarises what they plan to build.

There will need to be consultations with roads departments etc who will give their professional opinion on eg whether there are issues with access and any constraints they will put on the build (eg that it must have sufficient space for turning).

You will have an opportunity to object, but very few objections are actually taken into account (because they are mostly just NIMBY objections or petty neighbour disputes).

Beyond that your best bet is to invite them up for a cup of tea and a chat about their plans. But you’d be well advised to do that keeping in mind that most if it has nothing to do with you. You might not like it, but you have very few rights in this situation.

(edited for typos)

He will need planning permission, you can see if its been applied for on your council website, you can also raise any sensible objection.

TheignT - I feel for you. As I mentioned above, we have had several hundred new houses built just a stones throw from our house. We've also had 18mths of the dust, noise etc. With asthma and hay fever myself it's a nightmare. In the last week I have seen 2 dead foxes, a dead deer, dead squirrels, 2 dead pheasants and a dead badger = all within a short distance of the new housing estate that 2 yrs ago was a lovely field and home to these lovely animals. It's so heartbreaking.

wisteriadrive - I already have several hundred new houses being built 2 mins walk away. It's been awful and I am stuck in huge traffic jams every day and it's ongoing with no end in sight. I didn't fancy another outside my house - literally - would anyone? It seems we won't be lucky with an appeal but going to object anyway

I think your feelings from the new estate are clouding your judgement here. You’re catastrophising; looking for the worst.

You have very little control over this. Your best choice is to try and make peace with it. Look for the good.

There is very little you can do here really, the fact the house is self build and been sold etc is irrelevant to planning, it's also irrelevant that you feel the owner hasn't kept you up to date or communicated well. Might not be courteous but he's not done anything "wrong" here.
You've not said whether he's submitted for planning already, but you have said you've seen the notice.

We have self-built and are now living in the exact same set up you describe. I'm pleased you aren't one of our neighbours, the housing crisis is very real and anyone willing to add to stock in this small, infill manner is to be applauded not demonised.

You can make a comment on the planning application online but would need to object based on something that actually has planning relevance

Tbh, as an Architect, I think it is likely to be approved.
From what you’ve said I can’t see any real planning reason not to approve it and there does need to be a reason.

If there’s a posted notice he will have submitted an application.
The notice is posted after by the planners

OP
Can you give us the planning ref on the notice and county council
I know it’s a bit outing but it might help to see if there’s any potential contraventions

I don't understand this feeling of lack of clarity or secretiveness. Until you actually have to be given notice you have no right to know these things, it's simply none of your business.

And about couriers using the land as a turning circle, this isn't anyone's concern either. The current landowner could fence off the entire area if they chose to. If vans have to reverse back then so be it, that's not a problem for the new owner.

It's one house and won't even be directly adjacent to your home, I can't imagine any appeal being taken seriously at all.

Thanks for the replies. Seems there is little that can be done; just as I suspected tbh.

But do highways own the land the vans are turning on or are they trespassing on someone else’s land
If it’s the later then the self builder isn’t taking anything away. You can’t take away what you don’t own. So highways can do nothing if they don’t own it.

If you want it to go to committee in order to raise issues in a meeting there needs to be five objections.

@HocolocoI think you’re just pissed off a new house is being built so close to yours.
The new estate you mention, I get it, we’ve had two go up in the last 5 years but what can you do? We also lost lovely countryside but people also need homes.

I don't think you're owed much of the information you describe as being withheld from you. It may feel personal, but it's not.

Your recourse is with the council. Google the number for the planning department. Call it. Speak to someone. Google their homepage and read it. Take it from there.