Any planning permission guru's here?

[Monkey Mark]

I'm thinking about building a car port. I've checked and it does come under permitted development as long as you stay within a few restrictions.

Now this got me thinking. One restriction is that two sides must remain open to be considered a car port. But, what if one/both if those sides had removable panels? If they were removable so then not a permanent fixture, would this be a way around it?

I've searched the likes of planning portal but can't get an answer.

 

[RobinBHM]

I can understand the rule about open sides. If all sides could be closed, just add a door and its a garage

I should think 'removable sides' would be considered semantics, as the reality is: theoretically removable, but intention would be to leave in place. I wouldnt bother asking the council about it or apply for a certificate of lawfulness.

If the carport is not in a place likely to be very visible to neighbours or impact on their amenity then any risk of complaints is miniscule. On that basis, I would just go ahead and build. You could still make it with removable sides to cover yourself for any eventuality and in case you move in years to come.

 

[Monkey Mark]

I can understand the rule about open sides. If all sides could be closed, just add a door and its a garage

I should think 'removable sides' would be considered semantics, as the reality is: theoretically removable, but intention would be to leave in place. I wouldnt bother asking the council about it or apply for a certificate of lawfulness.

If the carport is not in a place likely to be very visible to neighbours or impact on their amenity then any risk of complaints is miniscule. On that basis, I would just go ahead and build. You could still make it with removable sides to cover yourself for any eventuality and in case you move in years to come.

Well the car port would be visible. It would be along the side of my property. I have checked and it is allowed but think my neighbour would complain if they could. Im wanting to build it due to a complaint to start with so ill stay within limits but it would be nice if I could do it.
I could always make it with removable sides anyway and if a complaint goes in simply remove them......... For a while.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

what do you mean you want to build it due to a complaint to start with?

 

[Monkey Mark]

At the moment I have a vehicle in my front garden. Someone complained to the council. Our house is detached so I might as well remove a fence from one side and build a car port. If it has front doors (keeping rear open instead) then it can't be seen from the front elevation and as such no entitlement to complain.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

righto, thanks

 

[Monkey Mark]

righto, thanks

Some people don't appreciate classic cars any more.

 

[Paul200]

Sympathy Mark. Our neighbours are lovely - they're 1/4 mile away! But our local planners didn't like our garage plans so I'm looking to build a 'car port' just behind the building line. Then a workshop. Then a Garden Tool Store. And so on ;-)

I love classic cars - do your neighbours not appreciate beauty?

 

[Monkey Mark]

Sympathy Mark. Our neighbours are lovely - they're 1/4 mile away! But our local planners didn't like our garage plans so I'm looking to build a 'car port' just behind the building line. Then a workshop. Then a Garden Tool Store. And so on ;-)

I love classic cars - do your neighbours not appreciate beauty?

Would love the space to do similar to you. Very envious.
They have company cars. Their son once made a comment regarding the age of our cars but soon shut up when I pointed out that we own ours, not rent through a company scheme. And the dent in one of ours was caused by him!

I much prefer to get on with our neighbours but he's pushed it too far now. Never mind, wont make much of a difference to us.

On a side note. They recently asked if one of our bushes could be cut shorter as they've made a new sun area in their garden and they'd get a little more sun if we did. What's the chance of that happening now?

 

[Wizard9999]

Mark

Will it be attached to the house or detached? It may be that building regulations are more of an issue than the Planning permission. Are you happy to comply with building regulations but it is planning permission that worries you? Are you worried about getting consent because your neighbour will object? Any objection would have to be for sound planning reasons, otherwise the officer shold not take account of it. If what you want to build could be built under permitted development as a car port it would seem that there would be limited scope for a valid objection from the neighbour for the typical reasons they may have, e.g. scale, being overbearing, etc.

As previously said by somebody else, if you go ahead with a car port under permitted development but try it on and your neighbour is minded to complain then I think any decent planning officer would look at removable panels and tell you you are taking the p1ss. After all, doors are removable if you just unscrew the hinges.

Terry.

 

[Paul200]

Would love the space to do similar to you. Very envious.

Don't be too envious Mark - all those timber buildings are my cunning tactic to avoid some of the endless grass cutting and strimming :wink: The more ground I cover the less grass there is to cut! As a couple of country-loving townies we quite liked the idea of a couple of acres of land. Didn't appreciate the work involved though. But then nor did the previous owner - the grass was 3 feet high when we moved in :shock:

It's horrible when you try your best to get on with neighbours and they seem hellbent on annoying you. Given the history I think you should have a word with your local building control people to see where you stand. Even if they say 'no way' at least you wouldn't have wasted your time building something that your lovely neighbours would undoubtedly get condemned by the council.

Oh - and don't forget to fertilise that bush :lol: :lol:

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

On a side note. They recently asked if one of our bushes could be cut shorter as they've made a new sun area in their garden and they'd get a little more sun if we did. What's the chance of that happening now?

Is there an opportunity there for negotiation? Let the car port planning go through and you'll trim the bushes?

 

[Monkey Mark]

Well, a little update. Chances are no-one is interested, but should you be bored enough to read this then fair enough :mrgreen:

The council have been in touch after I sent them an email last night so credit to them for getting back in touch swiftly. Apparently the complaint was made anonymously, though we do know who it is.
Yesterday our caravan went back into storage (it was awaiting replacement parts after a problem on our last outing) so the car was moved from the grass to the driveway. Annoyingly this was planned for the weekend anyway and had nothing to do with the letter. We asked if this was acceptable and they said it was no problem. They seemed surprised when we mentioned that we pay good money for the caravan to be in storage as the complaint insinuated that it was a permanent feature. It would appear that they have also complained about the back garden. Window frames, holes in the garden and bricks. When it was pointed out that the holes were foundations, the bricks were for a patio and the window frames were for a conservatory that is going up they replied "Oh, right". I offered an open invitation for him or any of his team to come and take a look if it would satisfy them as the situation
We are waiting to hear back for confirmation that there is no action to be taken (what he said but needs authorizing by superior) and I have requested a written copy of this to show the neighbor at which point I will be telling him that if he doesn't want to see our back garden the he ought not to look over the bloody fence!

I've also been advised to keep a diary of any comments as another neighbor decided to try and have a go yesterday minutes after talking to our neighbor. I had my two young children with me walking down our street and the "Daddy bear" protector came out in me. I don't think he was expecting the response he got.

The cheek of some people. We live in a nice area and have paid well for this privilege and as such put due care and consideration into all of our actions. We do not have parties, we are not noisy, our kids know better than to annoy our neighbors and the man with OCD finds it fit to complain about something which has nothing at all to do with him. Fuming.

EDIT: In the last few minutes I have received confirmation that we have nothing to answer to and the case has been closed. +1 for common sense.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

now where can you buy Japanese Knotweed seeds :twisted:

 

[Monkey Mark]

now where can you buy Japanese Knotweed seeds :twisted:

Well, my wife, who already has stress issues and a heart condition was rather perturbed by the whole incident. The neighbors have lived there a few years where as she has lived there for 20 years (She was already there when I met her). She is concerned that the neighbor is going to attempt to turn our other neighbors against us as part of his personal vendetta, neighbors who we have been friendly with for many years. As part of the remodel of our back garden, she has now asked me to remove the 4 foot fence dividing our gardens and replace it with a 6 foot one which she has already nicknamed the Berlin Wall.

It's a shame that it has all come to this, I'm certainly a lover not a fighter, but I definitely will not put up with behavior like this.

 

[n0legs]

Next time theyre out, hosepipe through the letterbox.

 

[Wizard9999]

Don't get me wrong, your neighbour is clearly out of order but you mention they have been there a few years so I wonder if there is something specific that has caused the recent problems? If so, it may be worth tackling that specific issue now, before the root cause is forgotten and a feud has developed that can't be resolved because nobody knows what needs to be resolved.

Also, if your wife in particular has very long standing good relations with the other neighbours it may be worth some preemptive action. Maybe go and see all the other neighbours, be up front about the recent events, ask if they have any issues with any of the work you are doing and / or the need to store items for that work in your garden. I bet they don't, but getting them to say it out loud may reinforce that in their open minds.

I wouldn't fall into the trap of bad mouthing the problem neighbour, just acknowledge the issues and say you do not know why they are so upset, i.e. try and let the other neighbours realise that the problem neighbours are the unreasonable ones in all this without you actually saying so.

Hope it all gets sorted and does not impact on your wife's health.

Terry.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Why the issue with the wall? The boundary fence is usually owned by one or the other of you - if it's theirs they can do much as they please, if it's yours you can do likewise.

 

[Monkey Mark]

Don't get me wrong, your neighbour is clearly out of order but you mention they have been there a few years so I wonder if there is something specific that has caused the recent problems? If so, it may be worth tackling that specific issue now, before the root cause is forgotten and a feud has developed that can't be resolved because nobody knows what needs to be resolved.

Also, if your wife in particular has very long standing good relations with the other neighbours it may be worth some preemptive action. Maybe go and see all the other neighbours, be up front about the recent events, ask if they have any issues with any of the work you are doing and / or the need to store items for that work in your garden. I bet they don't, but getting them to say it out loud may reinforce that in their open minds.

I wouldn't fall into the trap of bad mouthing the problem neighbour, just acknowledge the issues and say you do not know why they are so upset, i.e. try and let the other neighbours realise that the problem neighbours are the unreasonable ones in all this without you actually saying so.

Hope it all gets sorted and does not impact on your wife's health.

Terry.

I did speak to him about 3 weeks ago regarding the issue, explained the circumstances (i.e. car on garden as caravan was awaiting repair) and gave him a rough time scale. But he simply wasn't interested. Not once did he mention anything about the back garden or it's contents. I have a sneaking suspicion they have been added on in an attempt to bolster his case.
Though when they had scaffold in our back garden for 5 months when getting their extension built it was a different matter of course :roll:

I've already been considering speaking to other neighbors. One of which our OCD neighbor said he may complain about due to their caravan. Now these have just spent what I would expect to be several thousand having their drive widened, new walls etc and the land to the side of their house greatly altered so as to safely house their caravan. I doubt they will have breeched any building rules etc as they simply aren't the sort to do that. But I also doubt they will be happy that someone may be about to complain.

I'm not about to go around bad mouthing others, but it would be interesting to see others opinions.

 

[Monkey Mark]

Why the issue with the wall? The boundary fence is usually owned by one or the other of you - if it's theirs they can do much as they please, if it's yours you can do likewise.

Ok, this may be me being a little thick, but I don't understand where the wall part has come from?