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Planning can be retrospected though... Building control will require knocking what they have down if it's as shonky as it looks.
Is that retaining wall on your boundary. Going by the way the replacement fence steps in…… What’s holding that up ? Ie where are the footings
I thought that as well. You can even see where the fence isn't straight to hide the fact. Assuming he built the wall did you agree to it straddling the boundary (looks like it may even be entirely on your side)?
stumpyjon
Full Member
That concrete slab next to the breeze block wall, is that something he’s put in or was it there originally
Original balcony is only about 1m in width originally in these houses.... He's extended or a lot.
No idea how good the footings are in that wall and I'm going to guess they extend into our garden. Will have a little dog to see needle I contact council/take pics.
Couldn't get pics today, daughter been in all day.
Decided to go "low key bastard" approach. Going to go drip, drip, drip with complaints to council and registered letters delivered to neighbour to get a paper trail sorted for notifiable disputes a little down the line when she goes to sell.
I've not got the fight to full monty day in day out, 10 years ago possibly but not these days. Have to balance this with other very much more important real world concerns or they truly have won.
I built an extension where my neighbour is that close, we had to make a special L shaped foundation as he did not want us to make any foundations on his side.
Our architect said it was common and planning often insist on it.
Maybe I'm miss interpreting but what is the wall doing. Looks like he's back filled it(also looking at him laying blocks on their side) in which case it'll be retaining surely and l shaped footings for a conventional extension need not apply.
Don't bother with any interaction with the neighbors they are clearly self entitled ****s. Just deal with planning/ building regs depts.
local planners IME bloody hate folk taking their own path around the rules.
Next door but one here discovered that to their cost recently. First floor extension went up with non-permitted window over-looking our neighbour. Extended first floor extension went in over a supposedly open sided orangery, this was fully enclosed.
Then a new garage was mooted, followed by another first floor extension. Garage allowed, extension turned down.
Footings for 2 storey extension were laid and garage flank wall built but with a single brick return to the existing wall. Building control turned up and inspected. Builder told to take it down and build without the return. It got to garage roof level and stopped while a planning appeal was put in by an advisor. Finally told to sling his hook by the planners and nothing further has been built.
This is a family that we put ourselves out for to avoid neighbours from hell moving into the adjoining semi and forcing them out. We do wonder how much is enough and when they're going to contribute to the neighbourhood rather than taking all the time.
They know the planners are coming so he has cleaned up.
How on earth have those fence panels not blown out
Aye, lawyers can do one, local planners IME bloody hate folk taking their own path around the rules. A planner scorned is a fine ally.
Suit yourself but the link gives actual factual advice.
My experience from our borough is planners are worse than hopeless and just do an absolute minimum and quite happily ignore the law or their own SPD's and NPFF when told to by the council exec.
Ours can't even be bothered to check the required documents have been submitted.
An example is a developer stating "we have done a daylight survey and it passes"... no actual survey just the developer stating it and presumably a brown envelope.
stevextc - definitely not my experience; planners can be really helpful if you approach them right (pretend) to care about their views etc - or they can be stubborn as hell if you've blatantly been ignoring them. Their colleagues in building control even more so.
Ours can’t even be bothered to check the required documents have been submitted.
An example is a developer stating “we have done a daylight survey and it passes”… no actual survey just the developer stating it and presumably a brown envelope.
I think you need to pick your conspiracy theory. Are the lazy and can't be bothered or are they being given a bung. Either is certainly possible the two are essentially contradictory though why bribe someone who is too lazy to reject you on legitimate grounds.
Not my experience here either. We had a neighbours self built dodgy high wall removed based on height alone. It was no where near what the OP was facing either, it wasn’t on our boundary.
I used to report on plenty of planning issues for local newspapers, always found the planning officers the most helpful and transparent at the council.
It's the councillors who're more likely to be bent or incompetent.
My experience of planning is that they are very particular. A neighbours fence had to be taken down because it was above permitted height after a few people raised it with planning.
I also had to do a lot of work to prove that my planning permission granted in 1999 was still in place as work was started by building the first part in 2000. They wouldn't take anybody's word for it and had no records on their systems as over 10 years and so on.
I think you need to pick your conspiracy theory. Are the lazy and can’t be bothered or are they being given a bung. Either is certainly possible the two are essentially contradictory though why bribe someone who is too lazy to reject you on legitimate grounds.
The planners are stuck in the middle ... they aren't high enough up to benefit from the brown envelopes but they are in the position of their continued employment being dependent on those who do.
Locally we are in the 2nd year of investigations from internal committee to external to criminal but sadly this just gives more time to shred/delete evidence.
Ironically this happened off the back of a development that paid the planning department for advice and was then endorsed by the head of planning. After the scams, business interests and a £250M unsecured loan/council buying land before permission to sell to developer who is a co-director with the ex CEO of the council... this was rejected 100% by the planning committee.
This is just the tip of the iceberg... the ex-CEO's listed pub he'd just bought burned down and got planning permission very quickly... he's a director in the company moved the firestation .. as is the former Director of Legal and Democratic Services, and Monitoring Officer who incidentally decided he had no case to answer as monitoring officer and dismissed a case against himself.
You couldn't make this stuff up...
As far as I know the head of planning is decent bloke (Benjamin) and I assume he has very explicit verbal instructions what to pass and what not to pass if he wants to keep his job.
If I were in his place I'd be doing the same, do the minimum and avoid leaving evidence .. it's hardly going to be easy finding another job as head of planning he doesn't need to move to the other end of the country.
steve, that's all v interesting but doesn't help Poops.
Is poops neighbour Benjamin ? Or did I miss the point in all that.
You couldn’t make this stuff up…
Well you certainly could and lots of people do! However, big difference between either legitimate "planning gain" or illegal "bribes" by large developers and one guy building a dodgy balcony without permission. In fact, the one guy stands to get slaughtered to show that they are tough on planning, so the big developers have to play the game too.
If I were in his place I’d be doing the same, do the minimum and avoid leaving evidence .. it’s hardly going to be easy finding another job as head of planning he doesn’t need to move to the other end of the country.
Can probably get a nice line in planning consultancy if he wants - like HMRC staff who become tax advisors etc
frankconway
steve, that’s all v interesting but doesn’t help Poops.
Erm, its my original point... assume you need to understand the legalities yourself.
They might be lucky and their planning dept is on the ball for small scale planning but my experience is the opposite.
It's not that they are or aren't competent (ours seems competent but I'm no judge) but that they are civil servants of very limited employability and subject to losing their job and probably critically under resourced to do it properly.
The point of that is OUR planning don't have time to do anything but a cursory nod to domestic planning... they are being flooded with very complex and high resource planning the brown envelope gang have made promises will be passed even though they break the local DPD's, land-use and NPFF.
Poly
Well you certainly could and lots of people do! However, big difference between either legitimate “planning gain” or illegal “bribes” by large developers and one guy building a dodgy balcony without permission. In fact, the one guy stands to get slaughtered to show that they are tough on planning, so the big developers have to play the game too.
I was answering that bit ... I feel very sorry for our planning dept as they are the ones who get the finders pointed but we (Andy in the newspaper article) have evidence they are deliberately flooded to prevent them having time/resources. This has to wait until the criminal investigation though as this is now the main thrust.
Can probably get a nice line in planning consultancy if he wants – like HMRC staff who become tax advisors etc
Funny you should say that ....
The ex-CEO has already set up his "planning consultancy" company.
steve, thanks for your condescension...
Erm, its my original point… assume you need to understand the legalities yourself.
I have dealt with planning and building control both domestically - conversions and extensions - and professionally and have a sound understanding of the legalities.
Just to help you understand - your comments about your personal and local experience with planning are of no help to Poops in resolving his problem.
You might as well have pointed him to Rotten Boroughs in Private Eye for examples of illegal/inappropriate behaviour by councils.
The thread title asks for 'Informed advice please'; it wasn't an invitation for your diatribe about your dissatisfaction with your local planning department.
The thread title asks for ‘Informed advice please’; it wasn’t an invitation for your diatribe about your dissatisfaction with your local planning department.
But this is the super****world forum, people make posts, everybody piles in with opinions, facts, how it relates to them, how other people are wrong, random anecdotes, sometimes even useful information!
Sometimes there is interesting dialogue, sometimes its drivel, often makes entertaining reading.
So did you speak to the planning dept yet Poopy?
chakaping
Full Member
So did you speak to the planning dept yet Poopy?
There's only an email contact according to their website mate. So, the details they request (plus pics they don't request) have been sent. See what happens.
Hope you get a favourable response.
Getting quite invested in this now.
Where are you poops?
they are civil servants of very limited employability
Obviously not helping the OP, but @stevextc do you think you could be any more patronising?
@chakaping Same here. Has all the things that make a good Netflix series (drama, anger, known main protagonist) but without having to pay for Netflix or binge watch the series.
I have a similar thing going with the building work that a friend has got outside his apartment on Söder. They're making a park and I've got used to receiving the daily photograph of what they are doing. Spoiler: They got more gravel delivered this morning.
they are civil servants of very limited employability
Except for all the building firms and consultancies wanting to hire them... Underpaid and underesourced in the public sector certainly, but that's the same across all Local Authority services.
If it's over 30cm high and given the sloped land it will be anyway then it needs planning.
You've reported them, include all your concerns from limiting light, over 30cm height, safety, access and encroaching on your boundary
Then leave it to the council.
Push the council to take action, push them for a stop notice as they will be under resourced and a squeaky wheel does get oiled. Let the council fight the battle concentrate on your day life.
Where are you poops?
The neighbour has been seen bricking up on newly-laid footings... hmm...
I'm more worried WTF those acros are for. Is he knocking through at the back of the concrete slab? Given the shitty look of his current work, I'd have some concerns about the party wall.
Footings where?
Acros? In looking on a smart phone but think they are scaffolding poles.
There’s six props holding down a tarp in the last photo. My guess is that the were used to hold up the shuttering for the new concrete balcony extension?
Nothing I have experienced so I cant be of help there. I think you are handling it well. Good to go with the council - neighbours are bullies and that will call their bluff. By challenging him about the fence you showed them that you wont be a pushover.
Anyone seen poopscoop?
Neighbour's put a new patio down?
Neighbour’s put a new patio down?
West or Jordache?
Be a good name for a landscape business
West and Jordache
Patios, trenches and other ground works undertaken
Poopscoop, not sure if this has been covered but that bookwork wall sits on the boundary, ie 50% of that wall is on your land. This falls into section 1 of party wall etc act 1996. Did he serve notice upon you in accordance with the act? Did you provide your written permission? If not regardless of planning he would have to take wall down and rebuild entirely on his land
Bookwork wall should be blockwork wall!
^^ Cheers for that info mate.😁👍 He built the wall parallel and behind the small one already there so definitely starts on his land... whether it strays a bit after that is another matter. The footings also.
Oh, thanks for the rest of advice guys. I'm taking it in, promise.
I've deliberately stepped away from the thread as I've done all I can for the moment and I was beginning to get...A little "irate" about the situation.
Bigger fish to fry (and worry about in honesty) but I'll be plugging away at this, trust me.
Oh, the props were used as he's knocked two structural walls down to make a massive kitchen/ diner that looks out onto the equally massive balcony...
These are very average 1930's terraces, that's fine, they are what they are but the daughter seems to want a mini Versailles instead.😉
That's fine, just do it right and be considerate to your neighbours. Not much to ask.