Householder application form question

[Deejay]

I'm not sure whether anyone can help with this.  Neighbour owns small cottage at the entrance to our private road.  It has a garage but no other parking is allowed on the right of way on which the cottage sits.  He has applied to convert the garage to living space which will in effect mean them having to park on a busy bus route - something the Highway Officer will have to consider.

 

My question is about the Householder application form that has been submitted.   I have copied extracts from the form:

• Description of Proposed Works Please describe the proposed works Has the work already been started without consent?

Conversion of garage into living area

 

Much further down the form

• Parking     Will the proposed works affect existing car parking arrangements? If Yes, please describe:

Yes  garage converted however an additional parking spot is to be provided within the curtilage

 

The first block plan provided showed the area within the curtilage where the additional parking space would be provided with an outline of a vehicle.  I could see immediately that the boundary was incorrect and provided an up to date Land Registry Plan as evidence.  This was accepted as correct and the block plan changed to show that there was now not enough space for even the smallest of vehicles to park within the amended curtilage.  The outline of the parking space with vehicle had been removed from the amended block plan.  However, the description on the application form which I have copied above has not been changed although this is now incorrect in my view as it is clear that it would not be possible to fit a car space within the property's curtilage.

 

I feel strongly that the written description on the application form should also be removed to marry up with the block plan.  I am not sure what information on the application form will be  considered for approval when the proposal is considered and am worried that somehow the proposed car parking space will end up being approved even though there is nowhere to put it.

 

I'm not sure whether I'm being overly cautious in that it may be that the only thing that is being considered for planning permission is contained within the Description of the Proposed Works section (copied above) and any other information on the form is for information only.

 

Can anyone help with my dilemma - I am considering writing to the planning department tomorrow asking for the parking space description to be removed from the application form as it no longer matches the block plan.  If I don't, then I am worried the parking space will get swept up in the approval.

 

Many thanks for any advice/help.  

 

 

 

[DevilDamo]

The description of the proposed works is still correct. The parking statement is now not correct. The LPA will not request for an amended application form to be submitted. They will address the lack of curtilage parking within their report.

Edited December 23, 2024 by DevilDamo

[Alan Ambrose]

You could, of course, raise an objection. Also possible to ask your neighbour about your concerns before you do.

Edited December 23, 2024 by Alan Ambrose

[Deejay]

2 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said:

You could, of course, raise an objection. Also possible to ask your neighbour about your concerns before you do.

Thank you.  I have raised an objection about the proposed parking space but now am questioning whether the planning application actually includes this for approval, or whether it was just "additional information" on the form. 

 

I am not against the conversion of the garage.  Owner of cottage not yet resident and I am nursing a broken leg and housebound.  My concern is for safety at the entrance of the access road and should permission be granted for the additional parking space it will inevitably lead to haphazard parking encroaching onto access road which would prevent an emergency vehicle entering.  I have said all of this in my objection.  I would really like to establish before a decision is made whether in fact it is possible for approval to somehow include this parking space.  It is quite worrying.  According to the planning portal, a planning assistant is dealing with the application.

[Alan Ambrose]

The LPA will read the objections to help them in their decisions, so I might just leave it at that. Parking, safe access etc. is usually very important to them. The applicant’s info will be on the application form, so you could contact them or their agent/architect and have a more informal chat.

[DevilDamo]

1 hour ago, Deejay said:

whether in fact it is possible for approval to somehow include this parking space.  It is quite worrying.  According to the planning portal, a planning assistant is dealing with the application.

The LPA will not approve something that does not work. It doesn’t matter who has been allocated to deal with the application as reports are still reviewed prior to being formally determined.

 

You have objected and that is enough.

[Deejay]

23 minutes ago, DevilDamo said:

The LPA will not approve something that does not work. It doesn’t matter who has been allocated to deal with the application as reports are still reviewed prior to being formally determined.

 

You have objected and that is enough.

Thank you and that makes perfect sense.  Unfortunately, from previous experience I don't quite share your confidence in the workings of our local authority although I would like to.  I have decided to email the planning assistant regarding the removal or disregard of the parking description on the application form so that it receives further attention at least. I shall copy in the Parish Council who have also objected to the proposal and are clearly also confused about the additional parking space mentioned on the planning application.  This will hopefully draw further attention to the matter and also provide a record for all concerned.

[Deejay]

Update.  There's been quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing with emails.  Planning Assistant not agreeing to redact the said information from the planning application even though the originally submitted block plan to which it refers has been amended and the parking space removed.

 

I eventually, in desperation, copied in a senior planning officer to my email.  He has responded today saying that the decision will be made until all the matters I have raised are looked into.  As I said previously, I am not objecting to what I believe is the reason for the planning application.  I am concerned that the "additional" parking space referred to in the Parking section of the application will get included in the approval if given.

 

I'll update when I have more information.  Happy Christmas and thanks to those who have taken the time to respond.

[saveasteading]

Planning officers aren't always great at technical stuff, even such as whether something fits. And they tend to leave traffic stuff to the highways dept.....who only care about main road safety.

 

If in any doubt, send them accurate and annototed sketches showing why it doesn't work.

 

Some planners arrogantly ignore the parish council. If you can get your borough/ district councillor to back you then the planners have to respond (officers report to elected representatives.)

 

[Deejay]

38 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Planning officers aren't always great at technical stuff, even such as whether something fits. And they tend to leave traffic stuff to the highways dept.....who only care about main road safety.

 

If in any doubt, send them accurate and annototed sketches showing why it doesn't work.

 

Some planners arrogantly ignore the parish council. If you can get your borough/ district councillor to back you then the planners have to respond (officers report to elected representatives.)

 

Thank you.  I am not against the proposal as it appears in its description.  I also think the Highways Officer will only be concerned with the removal of the only parking space resulting in further ad hoc parking on a busy main road/bus route.  However, the item re "additional" parking does appear under Parking on the application form and I don't trust the planning department enough to risk it being included in an approval.  I feel I've done all I can to be honest.  I agree about approaching the District Councillor but I'm housebound at the moment with a broken leg - under other circumstances I would have done that at the start.    Many thanks for responding.

[saveasteading]

Just now, Deejay said:

agree about approaching the District Councillor but I'm housebound

Their official  email address will be public knowledge. An easy cut and paste from the above.

The parish council are an advisory role only. The district Councillor has clout. 

[DevilDamo]

51 minutes ago, Deejay said:

I am not against the proposal as it appears in its description.

But you have objected so that is an objection against the proposed development. Unless you have submitted a comment and referred to the parking issue?

[ProDave]

In your formal objection to the planning application, state that the applicant does not own the land he is proposing to use as an additional parking space, so he would not be able to create that extra space, thus the application if approved would leave insufficient parking space on the property.

 

 

[saveasteading]

4 minutes ago, ProDave said:

state that the applicant does not own the land he is proposing

Yes, spell it out.

Bullet points make it easier to read and absorb.

[ProDave]

And you could also add that he did not serve the correct notice on the owner of the land (as you would if applying for PP on land you do not own) so the application should be invalid because of that.