Planning - Neighbour Objecting

[PaDE]

Side extension comprising of garden room downstairs, two bedrooms upstairs and an office in the loft.

The issue appears to be the loft dormer overlooking their garden and over development. Our architect seems to think if we pushed we would win due to the angle of both houses plus we are end house mostly overlooking a main road.

We are most probably going to submit second drawings as a show of goodwill, but was wondering "in case" we don't, if anyone has gone to appeal and won re: neighbour objecting due to over development.

We spoke to all our neighbours prior to submitting to planning. Its a shame nothing was mentioned then.

 

[Firestar_3x]

Seems like a reasonable objection, like you plan to do i would take it onboard and change the design.

Last thing anyone wants is to fall out with a neighbor, simply not worth the potential problems and/or money, also they might turn out to be nutters.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

The thing is, just because they have objected doesn't mean the council will reject it too. Have you had any issues raised by the council themselves?

The last thing you want is to compromise the design if you don't need to.

 

[Dis86]

Why would you want a dormer overlooking someone elses house and a main road? Put some loft-lights in. That way your neighbours objection goes away and you still get the daylight. Also probably cheaper.

 

[Zefan]

Why would you want a dormer overlooking someone elses house and a main road? Put some loft-lights in.

The amount of additional usable floor space with dormers vs your solution is almost always significant.

 

[Dis86]

The amount of additional usable floor space with dormers vs your solution is almost always significant.

Almost always is a big claim - it definitely needs to be quantified in this case. For example, on my upper floor dormers would gain me no additional usable floor space.

 

[mattx2]

Use frosted glass either full or bottom half that way still get the light and might put the neighbor's mind at ease.

 

[Zefan]

Almost always is a big claim - it definitely needs to be quantified in this case. For example, on my upper floor dormers would gain me no additional usable floor space.

It isn't a big claim, it's based on the pitch of most roofs. I assume you must have a rather non-standard roof pitch.

 

[Dis86]

It isn't a big claim, it's based on the pitch of most roofs. I assume you must have a rather non-standard roof pitch.

Nope, I just have a tall house where the loft-space has vertical walls.

 

[Zefan]

Nope, I just have a tall house where the loft-space has vertical walls.

So you're arguing that because you wouldn't benefit from a dormer - due to the fact that you live in a house where one wouldn't actually be possible - that they are pointless?

 

[Dis86]

So you're arguing that because you wouldn't benefit from a dormer - due to the fact that you live in a house where one wouldn't actually be possible - that they are pointless?

No, please could you show where I've said that? I'm arguing that it needs to be qualified whether or not it gives an advantage vs the alternative.

 

[Zefan]

No, please could you show where I've said that? I'm arguing that it needs to be qualified whether or not it gives an advantage vs the alternative.

It sounds like what you're saying to me based off your rejection of the mere idea of a dormer. I'm pretty sure OP knows their own situation well enough to have considered maybe not spending well over the odds for something they don't want or need.

 

[Dis86]

It sounds like what you're saying to me based off your rejection of the mere idea of a dormer. I'm pretty sure OP knows their own situation well enough to have considered maybe not spending well over the odds for something they don't want or need.

Having worked as a consultant in building design I can assure you that's often not the case. Clients often have a firm image of what they want regardless of the practicality, cost or constructability.

 

[Zefan]

Having worked as a consultant in building design I can assure you that's often not the case. Clients often have a firm image of what they want regardless of the practicality, cost or constructability.

Having worked as a consultant in building design I expect you're familiar with the average UK roof pitch, which is "almost always" of an angle that means non-dormer conversions result in a significant amount of wasted floor space. I say this as someone who plans to do a non-dormer conversion in the future, I'm not some dormer fanboy.

 

[Dis86]

Having worked as a consultant in building design I expect you're familiar with the average UK roof pitch, which is "almost always" of an angle that means non-dormer conversions result in a significant amount of wasted floor space. I say this as someone who plans to do a non-dormer conversion in the future, I'm not some dormer fanboy.

You cannot take averages in to consideration. You need the exact building details. It's an office that he's looking to put up there - is the potential floor-space that you're assuming is created by the dormer essential for this?

 

[Zefan]

You cannot take averages in to consideration. You need the exact building details. It's an office that he's looking to put up there - is the potential floor-space that you're assuming is created by the dormer essential for this?

I'm not saying the OPs requirements aren't important, I'm answering your question. Your question was "why would you?" rather than "why do you?". I don't see a way of interpreting this other than that you don't know of any reason why someone would want to have a dormer in this person's case. I answered with the main reason why people go for dormers as opposed to loft lights.

 

[Dis86]

I'm not saying the OPs requirements aren't important, I'm answering your question. Your question was "why would you?" rather than "why do you?". I don't see a way of interpreting this other than that you don't know of any reason why someone would want to have a dormer in this person's case. I answered with the main reason why people go for dormers as opposed to loft lights.

Fair enough. You're right that it could have been phrased differently.

 

[NVP]

So... what's a dorma?

 

[ANDARIAL]

Use frosted glass either full or bottom half that way still get the light and might put the neighbor's mind at ease.

This sounds like a good compromise
Run it past your neighbour
Or put in one way glass.Looks like a mirror from outside and you get `clear` view from inside (not quite clear)

 

[Jez]

The thing is, just because they have objected doesn't mean the council will reject it too. Have you had any issues raised by the council themselves?

The last thing you want is to compromise the design if you don't need to.

Everything else here has ignored this post gone off on a tangent which isn’t relevant to this application.

it doesn’t matter what your neighbours think, the council may only refuse the application by material reasons which contradict planning policies.

Ignore the fact that the neighbours have objected and deal with the council only, they are usually very good and will be in touch if there is going to be a reason for refusal. They will detail the actual policy and provide advice as to why it did not meet it. They’ll usually then give you the opportunity to withdraw the application before refusal for tweaking and resubmission. (You’ll see a lot of “withdrawn” and then subsequently granted applications if you trawl the public access systems)

Perhaps I’ve been lucky but my experience is that the councils are there to guide and help you pass things while working with their framework. Usually around here (Oxon) you wouldn’t even submit an application until they have effectively granted it verbally through pre planning. Neighbour objections are rarely ever a consideration as they rarely address actual policies.