So the adjoining property of our semi-detached has been empty for a couple of years - the old couple that lived their had moved out into a home and, sadly, both passed away this year. We'd been on good terms with them and kept an eye out for them. Since they moved out I'd been in occasional contact with their son and daughter to keep abreast of what was happening with the property and in particular so I could maintain the boundary planting without pissing them off (it's fairly overgrown so I've been hacking away) as well as also let them know if we saw anything amiss at the place.
I'd seen the odd person around in the back garden and then a few weeks ago the son mentioned his sister was likely taking the property and that they might extend. Fair enough - no bother with that. On Monday I was in the back garden and noticed they'd been doing loads of clearing and the sister's husband turned up and started doing some more. Got talking to him and introduced ourselves to eachother - all cool.
Today we received notification of a planning application for a two-storey rear extension. Why wouldn't you mention this in conversation given we were only talking 2 days ago? It's just neighbourly courtesy, surely, especially if you're about to move in? I'd already informed the son and daughter that we might need some works doing to our existing single storey extension so might need access, because that's just the courteous thing to do. I'm not the type to start disputes for the sake of it, but I can well imagine that many (particularly those that don't work in the building/planning sector) would take umbrage at such a lack of courtesy and lob an objection in and try and make the applciation process difficult. Hell, it even strongly recommends in planning guidance that you discuss with your neighbours before applying.
People are weird.
People are odd aren't they?
Re: People are odd aren't they?
Yes they are.
Perhaps you're just too much of a powerfully built director and they felt too intimidated to mention it in person.
Re: People are odd aren't they?
They aren't actually your neighbours insofar as they don't live there, the planning application was probably put in by their architect and you get notice anyway as part of the statutory consultation. I don't think it's particularly unusual or rude.
The planning portal guidance is just that, not a rule; it is a suggestion to flush out objections before they are formally made, but it has no bearing on the process.
If you have a valid planning objection, put it in.
The planning portal guidance is just that, not a rule; it is a suggestion to flush out objections before they are formally made, but it has no bearing on the process.
If you have a valid planning objection, put it in.
Re: People are odd aren't they?
Good point - maybe he didnt realise the plans were goin in at that point and you were going to get a notice.Jobbo wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 1:19 pm They aren't actually your neighbours insofar as they don't live there, the planning application was probably put in by their architect and you get notice anyway as part of the statutory consultation. I don't think it's particularly unusual or rude.
The planning portal guidance is just that, not a rule; it is a suggestion to flush out objections before they are formally made, but it has no bearing on the process.
If you have a valid planning objection, put it in.
Re: People are odd aren't they?
Unlikely, when my day job was doing planning applications there was no way a client wouldn't know when it was happening. More likely he didn't want to get into a discussion in case you did have any objections, some people hate confrontation.scotta wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 1:29 pmGood point - maybe he didnt realise the plans were goin in at that point and you were going to get a notice.Jobbo wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 1:19 pm They aren't actually your neighbours insofar as they don't live there, the planning application was probably put in by their architect and you get notice anyway as part of the statutory consultation. I don't think it's particularly unusual or rude.
The planning portal guidance is just that, not a rule; it is a suggestion to flush out objections before they are formally made, but it has no bearing on the process.
If you have a valid planning objection, put it in.
Whilst the guidance might be just that, its pretty short sighted not to follow it. Prior to July 2006 when circular 18/84 was rescinded (the statutory instrument that exempted the home office from the need to make planning applications on crown property) my firm made a very good living out of voluntarily consulting with local authorities, despite the fact we didn't need to. It paid dividends when crown immunity was suddenly lost and we had to make planning applications just like all the other plebs....we never found out why but strongly suspected that somebody forgot to send the form to renew it.
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Swervin_Mervin
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Re: People are odd aren't they?
The application was made the 10th August, and now I realise that it was the applicant I saw in the back garden with the architect a few weeks ago, discussing plans - at the time I assumed that they might have been showing round a potential buyer.
I haven't suggested it was rude not to say anything, more common courtesy and helps to foster good neighbourly relations. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt as he might actually have assumed that we'd received notification and that we chose not to say anything to him about it. If the roles were reversed though I'd have made contact with them to notify them of any works.
The other thing is, you might be doing yourself out of a larger extension and increased planning costs by not getting in touch. As it happens we're now wondering whether we might want to do something at the same time rather than just continue with remediation to our existing extension. If we do want to go ahead with something, then we could both agree to extend to the party wall at full height, and it could have been considered under one joint application, thereby reducing costs.
I've been doing this long enough to know that it rarely pays to say nothing, and generally it does pay to say something.
I haven't suggested it was rude not to say anything, more common courtesy and helps to foster good neighbourly relations. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt as he might actually have assumed that we'd received notification and that we chose not to say anything to him about it. If the roles were reversed though I'd have made contact with them to notify them of any works.
The other thing is, you might be doing yourself out of a larger extension and increased planning costs by not getting in touch. As it happens we're now wondering whether we might want to do something at the same time rather than just continue with remediation to our existing extension. If we do want to go ahead with something, then we could both agree to extend to the party wall at full height, and it could have been considered under one joint application, thereby reducing costs.
I've been doing this long enough to know that it rarely pays to say nothing, and generally it does pay to say something.
Re: People are odd aren't they?
Not wanting a confrontation/not knowing the etiquette or process/not wanting to share everything with someone the don't know/etc...
Re: People are odd aren't they?
Sounds like these may not be the sort of people you want living next to you?
Get in there while the property is empty
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-gl ... t-53726657
Get in there while the property is empty
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-gl ... t-53726657
The Evo forum really is a shadow of its former self. I remember when the internet was for the elite and now they seem to let any spastic on
IaFG Down Under Division
IaFG Down Under Division
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Swervin_Mervin
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Re: People are odd aren't they?
It could reduce costs for the build, and any party wall procedure matters, but you wouldn't want to make a joint planning application. If you did, any breaches of condition by the neighbour would affect you so keeping them to one planning app per property is by far the better way to do it.Swervin_Mervin wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 6:22 pm If we do want to go ahead with something, then we could both agree to extend to the party wall at full height, and it could have been considered under one joint application, thereby reducing costs.
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Swervin_Mervin
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Re: People are odd aren't they?
Potential new neighbour really ingratiated himself to the neighbourhood this weekend just gone.
I heard a chainsaw going on Friday lunchtime and could see someone taking down a load of what was left of the overgrown garden. No issue with that. 2hrs later there's a monster bonfire going. Unlike the previous waste that had been cutdown, which he'd left a few weeks and then burned, this was going straight on a bonfire green. A bonfire which also appeared to have a chair in it.
Two hours later and the house stank throughout so I went out to mention this - without directly asking if he would put it out. I was polite but quite clearly fvcked off, so thought he'd get the message. 5pm I went to pick the boy up from school and it even stank down there a mile away. There was ash over all the cars on our street and people's driveways, and a neighbour was complaining that it wasn't washing off easily. I ended up washing both our cars properly as the ash had piled up fairly badly on them and wouldn't hose off.
It was still going strong by 8pm by which time I'd had enough. I assumed he'd gone as there was no car there so I started to see if I could put it out with a hosepipe. Turns out he was still there, sat in a placcy chair in the dark watching it, and I was pissing in the wind anyway - it was well and truly ablaze in a big way and there was no way the hosepipe was going to have any effect. After telling him he had to put it out or I'd be phoning the fire brigade he started to do so with loads of buckets of water.
It was still smouldering the following morning despite it raining overnight, and after a quick look I could see he'd also thrown on an old kitchen worktop - a formica type jobbie that looked like it was from the 70s/80s. Christ knows what nasty shite had been burning away with that and the furniture. I tackled it with more water. It rained all day, fairly heavily. It was still smouldering at midnight Sat night. Thankfully it had finally gone out by Sunday morning, but the patio at the back is a state - heavily stained from the ash and rain combo.
I heard a chainsaw going on Friday lunchtime and could see someone taking down a load of what was left of the overgrown garden. No issue with that. 2hrs later there's a monster bonfire going. Unlike the previous waste that had been cutdown, which he'd left a few weeks and then burned, this was going straight on a bonfire green. A bonfire which also appeared to have a chair in it.
Two hours later and the house stank throughout so I went out to mention this - without directly asking if he would put it out. I was polite but quite clearly fvcked off, so thought he'd get the message. 5pm I went to pick the boy up from school and it even stank down there a mile away. There was ash over all the cars on our street and people's driveways, and a neighbour was complaining that it wasn't washing off easily. I ended up washing both our cars properly as the ash had piled up fairly badly on them and wouldn't hose off.
It was still going strong by 8pm by which time I'd had enough. I assumed he'd gone as there was no car there so I started to see if I could put it out with a hosepipe. Turns out he was still there, sat in a placcy chair in the dark watching it, and I was pissing in the wind anyway - it was well and truly ablaze in a big way and there was no way the hosepipe was going to have any effect. After telling him he had to put it out or I'd be phoning the fire brigade he started to do so with loads of buckets of water.
It was still smouldering the following morning despite it raining overnight, and after a quick look I could see he'd also thrown on an old kitchen worktop - a formica type jobbie that looked like it was from the 70s/80s. Christ knows what nasty shite had been burning away with that and the furniture. I tackled it with more water. It rained all day, fairly heavily. It was still smouldering at midnight Sat night. Thankfully it had finally gone out by Sunday morning, but the patio at the back is a state - heavily stained from the ash and rain combo.
Re: People are odd aren't they?
You're not lol
Re: People are odd aren't they?
That is cuntish.
Did you get much backchat?
Did you get much backchat?
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Swervin_Mervin
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Re: People are odd aren't they?
If I wasn't I'd have gone in all guns blazing - probably would have had the hose on him directly
Besides I still might want to tap him up about using their property for access to remediate our extension, hence trying to keep as civil as possible.
I'm also not into getting into bad relations with neighbours - life's too short.-
Swervin_Mervin
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Re: People are odd aren't they?
Probably just a once in a blue moon thing, we've all done stuff and then realised at the point of no return it could be done differently.
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Swervin_Mervin
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Re: People are odd aren't they?
Well it's the 3rd time he's been burning, but yeah. TBH it was more that he'd chucked on all the household waste that really fvcked me off. That is well out of order.
Re: People are odd aren't they?
Unfortunately it suggests that he's pretty much braindead from an emotional intelligence POV and has no concept of how his actions may annoy others.
Hopefully if he is not an overtly aggressive type the reaction from all his neighbours may stimulate him to engage grey matter next time but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Hopefully if he is not an overtly aggressive type the reaction from all his neighbours may stimulate him to engage grey matter next time but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Re: People are odd aren't they?
I hope Carlos is correct, but I fear GG is correct.