Objecting to neighbours planning application

**Zigenare** · 7 June 2018, 14:08

Wilmslow is our resident expert with regards to neighbourly relations. He'll be along shortly.

**BR14** · 7 June 2018, 14:09

Originally posted by hairymouse View Post

Just yesterday I got letters in the mail outlining two planning applications by our neighbour. One is for a new extension on the far side, and one is for replacing the current glass conservatory on the back with a new extension. I don't care about the extension on the far side, but the extension on the back is going to be taller than the current conservatory, have brick walls above the fence level and seriously block our light and views. Our other neighbour already has a similar one and it dominates our back yard.

Does anyone have any tips on how to proceed? I can follow the council instructions to object, but I am unsure what to say other than it will block our light and look crappy. How seriously will that be taken? Should I hire a lawyer to help with the objection? Can I sue them outside the planning process?

The owner does not live there and we have never met them. The current occupants are tenants who I assume will be turfed out before work begins.

TIA

Have you asked your accountant?

**original PM** · 7 June 2018, 14:12

Originally posted by hairymouse View Post

Just yesterday I got letters in the mail outlining two planning applications by our neighbour. One is for a new extension on the far side, and one is for replacing the current glass conservatory on the back with a new extension. I don't care about the extension on the far side, but the extension on the back is going to be taller than the current conservatory, have brick walls above the fence level and seriously block our light and views. Our other neighbour already has a similar one and it dominates our back yard.

Does anyone have any tips on how to proceed? I can follow the council instructions to object, but I am unsure what to say other than it will block our light and look crappy. How seriously will that be taken? Should I hire a lawyer to help with the objection? Can I sue them outside the planning process?

The owner does not live there and we have never met them. The current occupants are tenants who I assume will be turfed out before work begins.

TIA

See if you can find someway to calculate exactly what the loss of sunlight will actually be.

And then you can use that to object to it.

You cannot 'sue' someone for following the correct legal process.

**PhiltheGreek** · 7 June 2018, 14:16

One's grandparents had a similar issue with a railway being built on the other side of the valley from their estate. IIRC the solution was to build it through a large tunnel such that their views were not interrupted. HTH.

**northernladuk** · 7 June 2018, 14:41

IMO draw a diagram of the shadows that this would cause on your land so irrefutable. Put the direction of the sun and sunlight so they can see where it will be blocked. Bitching about loosing light won't convince anyone. Physically demonstrating the change will leave no doubt it's unacceptable.

I'd go as far as take a picture of where it will be from your property and photoshop the dimensions on. Fill it with brick to make it look as imposing as it will be. I've miscalculated the size of an extension on a planning permission before. What looked fairly inconsequential on paper turned out to be yards and yards of towering red brick. That was me not making more effort to understand the dimensions on paper and how it actually turned out. Hard to compare a bit of white paper with lines to a towering red brick wall. Take pictures of the existing one so the planners can also appreciate the actual size against the paperwork.

Will the new conservatory replacement have any windows that will overlook your property? That' normally kills an plan dead.

Put it all in writing so it's beyond doubt and you won't look like a whinge bag and won't get ignored.

**GreenMirror** · 7 June 2018, 14:42

Originally posted by Zigenare View Post

Wilmslow is our resident expert with regards to neighbourly relations. He'll be along shortly.

Will he be along? I thought he was sleeping with the fishes.

**Zigenare** · 7 June 2018, 14:45

Originally posted by GreenMirror View Post

Will he be along? I thought he was sleeping with the fishes.

If he can find his way out of the meeting room - which isn't a given!

**Mordac** · 7 June 2018, 14:56

Originally posted by hairymouse View Post

Just yesterday I got letters in the mail outlining two planning applications by our neighbour. One is for a new extension on the far side, and one is for replacing the current glass conservatory on the back with a new extension. I don't care about the extension on the far side, but the extension on the back is going to be taller than the current conservatory, have brick walls above the fence level and seriously block our light and views. Our other neighbour already has a similar one and it dominates our back yard.

Does anyone have any tips on how to proceed? I can follow the council instructions to object, but I am unsure what to say other than it will block our light and look crappy. How seriously will that be taken? Should I hire a lawyer to help with the objection? Can I sue them outside the planning process?

The owner does not live there and we have never met them. The current occupants are tenants who I assume will be turfed out before work begins.

TIA

We recently had cause to object to a development, on garden land towards the end of our street. The list of grounds on which you can object is depressingly small. "It looks crap" unfortunately isn't one of them. Do not hire a lawyer, you have to pay them (tuliploads) even if they are crap and lose, so don't bother. We managed to get planning permission refused on the grounds of "sustainability" because the prospective developer made some wild claims about solar panels on a north facing roof which the whole world could see were a bunch of bollocks. Your local authority are obliged to guide you in the process of objecting, but if there is a precedent (your other neighbour) I don't fancy your chances of stopping it.

**tazdevil** · 7 June 2018, 15:03

Put in your own application for an extension which will be worse for your neighbour than theirs is for you

Objecting to neighbours planning application