Planning permission

[Airyfairy77]

I live in a cul de sac of 10 semi detached houses. We all have our own small driveways, 6 houses are 3 bed, 4 houses are 4 bed. We all get along.

Except for one house. An older couple in their 70s and the man is quite possibly the most horrible man I’ve ever met, an absolute bully. He’s fallen out with virtually everyone in the road at some point. He tells people (and their guests) where they can and can’t park, to move cars if they’ve parked anywhere but a driveway (not blocking anyone I hasten to add) He’s complained about children playing in the cul de sac, people doing ‘noisy’ repairs/mowing lawns etc. Someone who had a skip for a week as they were doing up their bathroom, ‘can you get rid of it, I don’t want to look at it’. If he can moan or complain he will. He totally acts like he’s in charge of us all.

My dilemma is, I am thinking of getting an extension at some point over the next year or so. At the back of my house so not directly near him, he is opposite me. I just KNOW that he will object when I try to get planning permission, there is no way he won’t, but it will be purely because that’s the kind of person he is. However, the planning department won’t know he’s an absolute miserable arse that complains at anything and everything so does anyone know how much sway his objection will carry?? I’m getting really worried that my dream for my house, that I’ve had for a long time, are going to be scuppered just because he’s a horrible bitter old man who hates me (and everyone else!)

The planning department will look at the application and objections and make an objective option as to the validity of the objection.

They will be used to warring neighbours fighting planning.

If you have no grounds to worry, then don’t

However, the planning department won’t know he’s an absolute miserable arse that complains at anything and everything so does anyone know how much sway his objection will carry??

we can’t comment because we don’t know the detail of your plans and what his objections will be.

Let him. Unless there's a good reason, they'll tell him to get tucked. Being disturbed by plant etc isn't a good reason, fyi.

It’s makes no difference what planners think of individuals
If he complains it will only be ‘noted’ if he actually comes up with a planning contravention

However if there are five complaints it automatically goes to committee.

Talk it through with affected / adjacent neighbours including anyone at the rear before you go to planning

I would talk it through with the other 8 houses. Get them on board so that when the time come there is onlY the one letter objecting.

He can object, but planning authorities look at planning policies and material planning considerations, not simply someone not liking the idea of an extension.

They’ll look at the impact on light and privacy, the scale and design of it, the impact on the street scene etc. Planning rules are what affect the decision, not disgruntled neighbours.

However if there are five complaints it automatically goes to committee.

This is not true.

There are technical requirements that will be judged by planning officers. However at a councillor led meeting the opinions that tend to sway opinions are those directly affected, usually next door neighbours. If you get them on board other views will generally carry much less weight

Its 10 in our area. And any councillor can call it in

I’m an Architect and it’s definitely the marker here in the SEast

Perhaps other areas are different but
5 is accepted as the minimum required

Thanks all, some helpful comments. The extension itself won’t have any affect on him at all as he’s opposite me, they won’t ever even be able to see the finished product. He will object to the process getting there - builders/machinery/noise/potential mess.

The two neighbours either side of me are lovely families and already know that I possibly hope to extend, and no one else will be affected by the actual extension once it’s done.

My plans wouldn’t be ‘major’, just extend the back and slightly to the side to make a big kitchen/diner/family room. You won’t see it from the front of the house apart from the slight side bit (where I already have a solid shed anyway so a building already as such!!

OP - if your house is not in a conservation area and you are not planning to build a 50 tall mock pagoda, there is very little that he could say (as far as I can see) that would increase any technical worries that the planning department might have over a rear extension with or without his attitude.

You might not even need PP if it is within 'permitted development'.

If you were adding many more rooms or other increase that could be deemed over development, or cause light issues to a neighbour's main rooms (bathrooms don't count) , or causing a dangerous turning onto the road or something, there really isn't anything he can say that will have any affect whatsoever.

"He will object to the process getting there - builders/machinery/noise/potential mess." - that wouldn't prevent PP - though there might be stipulations about what time construction starts and finishes , whether allowed on a Saturday etc. But your neighbours might be glad of that anyway.

Do not worry about him being able to prevent you, he will not have a leg to stand on. He would have to show a material planning consideration, and being a mean grumpy old git who never wants anyone to make any noise is not covered.

From what you say I would be surprised if the council don't already know about him, he sounds like a vexatious complainant if ever there was one.

He will object to the process getting there - builders/machinery/noise/potential mess.

good news, the process of improvement doesn't fall under the criteria for objection - otherwise no home improvements would ever happen.

he will be told that the disruption is unlikely to affect him due to the location of his property in relation to the property subject to the plans under review, and in any case it will be a temporary disruption, not a permanent detriment to his dwelling,

Thank you all! You’ve put my mind at rest, I’ve been worrying about it a lot!! I know what I want isn’t anything that will change things for others (within my non professional knowledge!) but he’s such a horrible old complaining whingebag that I 100% know he will not like the process at all (and would also really enjoy making life difficult for me by objecting!)
it’s good to know that objecting to the noise/disruption etc isn’t really a valid objection to the planning dept!

Is there a precedent? Ie any neighbours had extensions?

1. The planning department have actual criteria for objections. You can't just block someone from changing their home, because you like how it looks now and think you won't like it as much if they change it! It had to actually break a building rule!
2. The process of building is nothing to do with planning permission. I mean I guess you could be required to stop building if you were going over someone else's garden with equipment or breaking noise laws, or something, but it's not under planning permission.

Think of it another way, you can delight in the fact that any complaint he makes will fall on stoney ground and he will be wasting his time. You won't have to deal with the complaint, that's the Planning Department's job. There is a set window of opportunity after which he will be ignored,

just sit back with a cuppa and put your feet up!

@daisychain01 He won't be told anything of the sort. He will be able to put his objections in either online or by good old fashioned snail mail letter and he will see the results of the application online once it has been determined by the planning authority. He won't get an individual response or even an acknowledgement to his objections.

Even if he does object, it doesn't follow that his objection will be upheld

We had a large conservatory built at our previous house and the floor area / height meant full PP was required.
PP was granted but later, we had reason to check on the submitted documents which meant we could see all correspondence relating to the application. Turns out our neighbour had objected (despite saying they would not) but their objection did not affect the final outcome.

Your neighbour may well have a visit by the planning department to talk through his objections as my neighbours were a few months ago but ultimately our plans went through.

1. The process of building is nothing to do with planning permission. I mean I guess you could be required to stop building if you were going over someone else's garden with equipment or breaking noise laws, or something, but it's not under planning permission.

Planning consent frequently details hours within which construction is allowed, as well as how dust and other mess will be managed. Though that would normally be for a much bigger project.

The council will have their standard hours - usually 8 am - 6 pm weekdays and 8 am - 1pm Saturdays.

If he's opposite you, he may not find out. They only usually consult direct neighbour and would be below threshold for a notice.
I'd keep quiet about it

There should be a notice posted, usually on a nearby streetlight (or similar).
We have a couple around here right now.

Our neighbours objected and it still went though as their objections were not valid it was just opinions and what they were worried about not the facts. It was honestly horrible at the time and they still don't speak to us. But it all went through.