Spring is the time for makeovers or moving and since the number of mortgages being approved has started to drop, many people will be staying put but making alterations to their property, such as planning extensions.
However, these can cause huge problems for the neighbours, who have to endure months of noise while the work is done and then potentially years of blocked views or other problems associated with the end product.
Since the law relaxed on ground floor extensions in 2012, people up and down the country have been dreading the sight of a builder’s van outside their neighbour’s house in case it will lead to the view of a brick wall or a patio that encroaches on their own living space.
At the moment, homeowners can add a single-floor extension of up to six metres in depth, in the case of an attached property, or eight metres in depth for a detached home, although these distances, which are double those before the 2012 amendments, only apply if the neighbours have been consulted and do not object.
However, neighbours should note that an objection can only be on the grounds that a property will be overlooked or lose privacy if the extension is built, or if the possible noise or disturbance caused by the new building would be a cause for concern – perhaps if it was intended to be used by the son’s rock band to practise in, for example.
Concerned neighbours should note, however, that if they are worried that the extension could knock money off the value of their property, that is not grounds for a complaint, as it is not a planning issue. Nor is there any point in lobbying individual members of a local authority’s planning committee as people used to, as revised local government legislation and the nationally imposed code of conduct have made councillors cautious about this.
The best solution, if talking to the neighbours is not an option, is to ask a firm of solicitors for advice on the next step.