Our next door neighbour has a "land grab" planning application in for a 3 bedroomed house which will cause us problems. Just wondering if anyone has experience of these matters, I found a couple of really useful websites, and I have already started to compose our objection letter, but if anyone has personal experience please let me know

All written contributions gratefully received.

Planning Permission only requires you to meet a set of simple rules (except for listed properties)
as long as all the criteria are met permission is not often refused.
I remember two, one where the permitted footprint was deliberately exceeded and where a garage extension
became a granny flat!
I would get hold of a copy of the proposal and get someone on the local council to explain them to you, don't
get emotional, stay ice cool and listen carefully then see if there is anything you can legally do to get the
permission refused.


Just an aside, a petition only counts as one letter of support/protest
individual letters from people carry more weight and each one counts
so 100 individual letters, for instance, carry more weight.

You are of course correct Pete but small works, extensions etc. can
nowadays be carried out at the drop of a hat subject to the national
size limits.
I have dealt with bat roosts and Natural England usually allows Mitigation,
this can apply to Badgers and Newts where the builder puts aside some land
digs a sett, digs a pond for the newts or puts in bat boxes. There is no guarantee
that the animals will use them but "honour" is satisfied

So its just a download, I was not suggesting it was anything cloak and dagger, matey.

Sorry no but good luck, you seem to have help here.

Hi Graham if you were to spot bats in the area of the build would it kibosh the idea ,best of luck .
Keith

I love it when you get dominant Pete

I've got the online documentation and as have started my letter of objection, I have spoken to other neighbours and they intend to oppose the new build so far we have 13 confirmed objectors each will write there own letter, I have contacted our local councillor and the planning department to arrange an informal chat, I have no problem with keeping cool😎 under duress so will wait and see what happens next.

So far I have written about, overshading, out of character, loss of privacy, increased noise, vehicle and pedestrian access (our house was hit by a bus!!!), garden grabbing, surface water, drainage and sewage, height, security, visual impact, view (I have it from a friend that "case law" exists where after 20 years residence you are deemed to "own" your view (I am hugely sceptical about this but he assures me it exists!)

I'm confident in my ability to represent myself as I have many court appearances where I have given evidence in defence of others and written countless pleas of mitigation

Not sure what you mean by "right of prescription" I'm 61 so get mine free