Water Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Hi all, Would really appreciate some advice, I got a call today from my contractor to say there has been a cock up and the house has been built too tall, the roof is aprx 1.25ft too high. This only came to light after the roof was finished. So far no one else has said anything. I guess we have the following options Do nothing and hope no one notices Go talk to the planning dept Get the builder to redo it (they have offered to correct it free of charge but it will be very disruptive and we want to get in asap) What would you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Can you raise the ground? ? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_r_sole Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Did you have a strict height set in your planning conditions? It doesn't sound like a perceptible difference although I have had planning departments measure ridge heights on occasion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFDIY Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Is it just the pitch that is wrong or are the floor levels and other aspects affected? Might be disruptive now but I wouldn't want to have to correct it once the place is finished, and the planners could force you to if they got wind of it. I guess it's difficult to judge without seeing it in context of the surroundings. Might go un-noticed, then again would planners object to an amendment if you held your hands up, got to be worth asking before you pull it to pieces, and they can see it in person to judge it properly rather than off-plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Water Posted December 17, 2020 Author Share Posted December 17, 2020 20 minutes ago, Onoff said: Can you raise the ground? ? Ha great idea sadly not going to be possible 1 minute ago, the_r_sole said: Did you have a strict height set in your planning conditions? It doesn't sound like a perceptible difference although I have had planning departments measure ridge heights on occasion... No where does it explicitly say the ridge height. I am not familiar with how it works, do the planners always come out to inspect? I genuinely didn't notice so I don't think its that obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Think you'll be ok unless somebody complains. Depends on your neighbours and your local planning authority. A developer near us decided to stick on another metre or so to half a dozen houses to get an extra floor in (2.5 story houses instead of 2) initiating a cascade of complaints form locals as they obviously blocked views over Lough for loads of people... Put in a retrospective application and surprise surprise were granted almost immediately. Get your brown envelope loaded up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Is the house in a street scene or standing in its own in a plot with no real reference points ..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Water Posted December 17, 2020 Author Share Posted December 17, 2020 To give an idea the planned ridge height was 27ft 3in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 When I was fighting for my planning permission the planners kept referring to my neighbours roof height, so I measured it (when they were out) and it’s 1200mm higher than the plans said and they never noticed that???. I think you will be alright unless it’s obvious like @PeterW says above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 If no one has noticed it by now I would do nothing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZacP Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 7 minutes ago, nod said: If no one has noticed it by now I would do nothing +1 but get the builders acknowledgement that it’s his mistake and will correct it in writing just in case! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSB Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 don't do anything unless you have to and then claim ignorance and go for retrospective. we have a strict height restriction in our plans so they might check ours, but if you haven't then unless to even be spotted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 I had a height restriction but the planners never came back (fir anything). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 The closest our planners did to checking was driving by (and they would see anything from the road). In my experience, the planners only care if someone complains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason L Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Just leave be and only deal with it if you have to, it will most likely go unnoticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 Fairly clear suggestions. Remarkable unanimity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Jimbo Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 My mate got done for being 500mm than his drawings. He got it passed as retro, but wasted a lot of time. Some neighbours can be a nightmare. Mine complains if i go out to my bins. I have had planning enforcement out 5 times in about 5 months due to my neighbour. In the end i had to write to the council and tell them that if they came out again, without doing due diligence first, i would sue them for harassment. I haven't had them out since. P.S. I hadn't done anything that was not permitted in on any of the 5 times. If it does get flagged up, it could cause you a nightmare. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Big Jimbo said: I have had planning enforcement out 5 times in about 5 months due to my neighbour. In the end i had to write to the council and tell them that if they came out again, without doing due diligence first, i would sue them for harassment. I haven't had them out since. P.S. I hadn't done anything that was not permitted in on any of the 5 times. If it does get flagged up, it could cause you a nightmare. yup, been there done that, whilst fighting fir my planning permission I used my JCB to do work in my field and general work on my plot, not building related, my neighbour from hell called our planning officer out So many times that in the end I rang him EVERY MORNING to tell him what I planned that day, he stopped coming despite the calls ? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 is there any advantage to you having a taller house? Will your builder pay for the retrospective planning application? And then if it fails, put it right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 I don't know about anywhere else but here building control are not coming out to check anything. It's all videos and photos. I think you'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry_angel Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 Planning departments are insanely overstretched and massively underpaid, for the power they wield. Unless you are really taking the mickey (and from the info above, you aren't) then I wouldn't tell anyone about this in a month of Sundays! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rh2205 Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 Wouldn’t even stress you wouldn’t be the first just don’t say anything, it’s very unlikely to be spotted unless you have an immediate reference point next door, and let’s be honest there’s probably quite a few different points on most plots that ground level could be measured from for a small discrepancy! Best now you erase from your mind this conversation was ever had with the builder or partner to never be spoken about ever again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aConfusedNinja Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 If you are happy with how it looks and its structurally fine I would go to the planning office and ask if they will sign off the change. If they do then your all good and covered if any neighbour complains If the planning office decline, then get the builder to rectify the issue. Its better than taking the risk and having to pay out of pocket to fix it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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