A year (Plus) later

[KTB]

OK, so we put in a pre planning application for a plot which had existing planning for 4 houses in Jan 2021, with a planning condition of building a cat 6 access "adopted" road to service the plots. The purpose of the pre planning app was to see if we could access the plot via an alternative entrance (an existing farm vehicle access from main road), bypassing the planning requirement and making the build financially viable for a single house. Eventually got the approval report after 4 months, after all the usual "working form home', "COVID" and "Staff off long term" runarounds.

 

We are now sitting 13 months from our start date, still waiting for full planning (Submitted in August) to be granted, despite being informed unofficially that it was a done deal. We can't get an address, can't get water or sewage connected to the site, can't break ground, engage contractors or apply for the RHI (finishes at the end of this month apparently) for our heat pump and solar panels.  

 

Lord help us when it comes to the building warrant - next.

 

On a more positive note, we will be posting in various other threads, asking for advice on all the next aspects of our build - Once it actually kicks off.All advice re: thumb twiddling activities in the interim welcome.

[recoveringbuilder]

What sort of feedback are you getting? Usually when it’s taking a while they’re going back and forth with you or other organisations  on various aspects of the build or are they just silent?

[KTB]

We got no feedback at all for months, then a request for a drainage survey (which had already been carried out for the previously approved application), then a further series of excuses and a blame game about why the case wasn't progressing. Took it up the chain of command and the blame was transferred to a sub dept (statutory consultee), who hadn't finished a report. Ended up at the head of service, who got the officer's boss to assure us that all was well and things would progress. That was two weeks ago and - Nothing again. 

 

It's been frustrating to say the least. We can't have a conversation with anybody, they wouldn't reply to our emails - only our agents to begin with. Then they gave up on them too and we had to push them every week.

Edited March 16, 2022 by KTB

[nod]

I have sympathy for you

weve been through all this 

Requests for surveys Then ask for something else 

The final straw was a request ORDER

to have the plots agriculturally graded 

 

We pointed out that they hadn’t followed there own rules and exceeded the 16 week limit and requested the planners supervisor replace the planner that was dealing with it 

They requested a 48 hour extension 

Then push it through Dropping all of the daft requests and much to our surprise no pre commencement conditions 

[KTB]

Surprise, surprise - Yesterday's email request for an update comes back saying the officer's boss is on holiday until next Monday. They seem to equate hours to months at the Council. More than 100 days past their statutory 60 now and counting.

[KTB]

Update - Planning approved, onwards and upwards to building warrant.