Barking99

I remember one of the reasons for refusal was we hadn’t supplied the planners good enough reasons why we needed a garage🤔!

We were totally refused planning permission for a garage on a Self-build. Very similar positioning to yours. Took it to appeal and was permitted. The appeal officer shot the reasons for refusal down. They were happy as long as we used similar materials as the house. Logic and sense sometimes doesn’t come into play with some planning officers. Even worse if there is a conservation officer involved.

🤣Love your description of yourself. Think I might try to be one too just for the principle of it all. So letter to ombudsman and hse?

I Totally agree. It is annoying though how they get away with it . Was just wondering if anyone had been In similar situation before I throw the towel in

This was the reply to my first letter to the ceo last year:- Thank you for your further email to Basil. I am sorry you are unhappy with our position, however, I can confirm it is our final position on the matter. You may be able to contact Ombudsman Services Energy, who are an independent complaint resolution service and can investigate your complaint. I have included their details below. Energy Ombudsman: Here to help with gas & electricity complaints | Ombudsman Services (ombudsman-services.org) Alternatively if you would like to accept our offer of £500 gesture of goodwill, please let me know and I will arrange the payment. I have attached the fault report for your reference, I am sorry that we did not send this to you previously. If you have any queries regarding this, please contact me. Many thanks Ben Ben Akers Senior Customer Care Executive Tel: 0203 660 2018 Tel: 07875 119 571

Hi Kelvin Thanks for your advice. I emailed the CEO last year who then passed it on to this guy. Will have a look back at my emails but they weren’t for moving from their offer. The linesman probably got sacked but they think £500 is sufficient to pay out for dangerous incompetent work. It is a bit insulting that £500 is the value they put on my life, family and my property. My NewBuild is around 3m from the pole. But at a bit of loose end how to proceed without paying $$$ to solicitors. I think this is what they bank on with people that they will take the offer as too much hassle otherwise. These big companies know how to play the game. I haven’t accepted the offer and due to health issues just put it on the back burner. So any other suggestions very welcome

It was going across a plot of land to supply one neighboring house. All the rest of the houses are cabled underground. My daughter has a cable to the side of her house which then goes onto supply 2 other houses. She has to pay to have it removed but the other 2 houses get underground cabling and inside electrical work for free. I’m sure she also got the option of it being removed for free but all work would be put on a 2 year waiting list as it wouldn’t be prioritized

Good Afternoon Sorry for my delayed response. As per our previous emails we have fully investigated the matter and apologise for the concerns caused, however, the offer of £500 is our final position. Many thanks Ben Ben Akers Senior Customer Care Executive Tel: 0203 660 2018 Tel: 07875 119 571 Ben.akers@ukpowernetworks.co.uk

This happened last year and I haven’t accepted yet. I did actually try and push it further but other than going to costly solicitors I really don’t know what to do. It’s kind of the principle more than anything now (compensation would be nice aswell). It annoys me that they tried to hide it from me in the first place and then offer a goodwill gesture as if it was a minor incident.

Thank you all. Thankfully🙏 no one was injured but if I hadn’t had those shocks and alerted Uk power it could of been worse at a later date. As it wasn’t going to fix itself. Im just abit annoyed that they seem to brush it off. Although I think they have had an internal enquiry. I met another linesman doing a job for me a few weeks after and mentioned it. He said it was the talk of the network and he’d actually checked that he wasn’t anything to do with it. They have offered a £500 goodwill gesture! But when you’ve paid over £20,000 for someone to do a professional job and they haven’t it seems abit of a slap in the face. There was no wayleave in place. So we shouldn’t of had to pay in the first place but got the usual ‘it could take up to 2 years’ It’s just annoying how these large companies get away it. I will probably accept the goodwill gesture but I was just posting to ask other opinions on how serious it was as Uk power seem to make out it’s no big thing. Thank you

Thanks. After spending £20,000 to have it removed and repositioned etc you expect the work to be done properly and not potentially kill you. Uk power networks seem to think they can brush it off as nothing and you’re okay. My grandkids were helping me plant the shrubs which is the scary thing

Thanks for explaining. Yes I was digging and planting shrubs near to pole when I got a couple of shocks. Also watering them in when the steam was coming through the ground. Wasn’t injured but could it have been worse?

Hi I recently paid a fortune to have an electric pole removed off my land to my boundary. After a couple of electric shocks received around the pole we got Uk power networks out to investigate.:- OMPLETED by user on 00:31:21 for operation 0010 - Investigate & Repair Reason Code : Smoking/steam from the ground found to be a faulty connection on the overhead network. Pole/PME earth had been connected to L3. So earth pin was live in the ground. Airline report already raised,R/0000670. Linesman have renewed the earth connection on the earth pin and connected it to the neutral up the pole.458238. Supplies isolated while work was done. LV This was the report I managed to receive after initially refusing to give me it. Can anyone tell me what this means or how dangerous it could of been. Thank you

I disagree. There is no height specification for the hedge. But our planning application was for 1.7 fence with hedge in front to screen it( this is our back garden). The planning officer could approve with condition that hedge must totally screen the fence if need be. Prior to first occupation or commencement of use a full schedule of all soft landscape works shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The schedule shall include, planting plans, a written specification; schedules of plants noting species, plant sizes, proposed numbers/densities; and a detailed implementation programme. It shall also indicate all existing trees and hedgerows on the land and details of any to be retained. The works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details prior to the end of the first planting season following occupation of the development. If within a period of five years from the date of the planting, or replacement planting, any tree or plant (including retained existing trees/hedgerows) is removed, uprooted or destroyed or dies, another tree or plant of the same species and size as that originally planted shall be planted at the same place, unless the Local Planning Authority gives its written consent to any The h

The soft landscaping details submitted on Drawing Ref 07 are acceptable in relation to Plot 1 only. The Condition is hereby discharged, subject that the agreed details are complied with in perpetuity. so the hedge that they passed on the planning condition has to remain in perpetuity I think the planners are wrong in refusing the fence for the reason they have given. So why should I just accept it.

No it can’t be removed on a whim as it is in the soft landscaping planning conditions for PP on the housebuild

But I have put an evergreen/semi evergreen hedge in front of it so the fence won’t be seen. So how can they refuse it on this basis.

This is the reason for refusal:- The proposal would be considered to cause significantly detrimental harm to the visual amenity of the host dwelling and the character of the wider area. The fence is located in a prominent position on the corner using a harsh material that creates a stark appearance and would not be considered complementary to the wider streetscene.

I know it’s ridiculous that I could probably do it. No wasn’t a neighbour. Retired parish councillor! But it just takes one to alert the planning department and they have to act on it. We haven’t had any objections as you would have to be blind to not see the hedge will screen the fence in due time. But then again the planning officer hasn’t taken this into account.

We self built the house and part of the landscaping conditions on that PP were to replace the overgrown poor condition hedge that was previously there with a native hedge. So there are conditions there that a hedge has to be retained.

But it is the hedge that is next to the highway screening the fence behind it. The fence will not be seen in a years time. The fence was set back from the boundary to plant the hedge also within our boundary. My argument their reason for refusing PP because of visual amenity doesn’t stand up as the fence will be screened by the hedge.

I agree but one of the conditions in the pp is there has to be a hedge there. I’m sure a certain retired person from the parish council would inform them otherwise! My argument is that why will it be harsh when you will be unable to see in due course. There is no logic in her reason for refusal. Yes in my reply to the case officer I did say I could reduce it to 1m and paint it pink and purple. I also asked her the question whether I would have still had to apply for pp if the hedge was fully established and then I put the fence up. I just feel it is a very grey area.

Yes I agree we were always aware that the fence was harsh until the hedge had matured. Surely they should take into consideration the fact it is short term. We had the same problem a year ago where they refused permission for us to build a garage. We went to appeal and won. The appeal inspector said that their decision to refuse because we hadn’t put a case why we needed a garage wasn’t a reason to refuse. I mean why does anyone need a garage?? This is what we are up against!

Thanks for replies. No there is no visibility issues. Highways had no problem with it. “The proposal would be considered to cause significantly detrimental harm to the visual amenity of the host dwelling and the character of the wider area. The fence is located in a prominent position on the corner using a harsh material that creates a stark appearance and would not be considered complementary to the wider streetscene. “ The hedge has been planted for less than a year and when fully grown and denser you won’t even see the fence from the road. So I don’t see why they can refuse it for the reason they are giving. Im not overly stressed about it as I can reduce the fence down to a metre which at end of the day would probably look better for the outlook from house to garden. But at the moment I would like privacy and security until the hedge has matured. And I think the planners are wrong in their reason for refusal.

Good evening all I recently had planning permission refused for a 1.7m fence next to a highway. My house is a corner plot and it is the back garden I have put a 1.7m fence around. I have planted hedging ( planted for a year) in front of the fence within my boundary and the fence will be hidden within a year or two. The hedge not the fence is adjacent to the highway. Then a 2 metres grass verge and then footpath. I cannot understand the reasoning for the refusal (visual amenity) as you won’t see the fence given time. So surely this can’t be justified. Nobody objected to the fence. If the hedge was fully grown and denser and then I put up the fence would I of needed planning permission? We are going to appeal but any thoughts would be greatly appreciated Thanks