Architects have messed up. Next steps?

[flanagaj]

The architects who gained us our planning position appear to have messed up with regards to our boundary.   On our drawings it's showing at 1.4m, but when I measure from the road edge, I get about 600mm and it means that to build the house will require me to literally rip out the neighbours scrappy hedging.  At no point were we consulted about the boundary and who owned the messy hedging.  Surely, they should have been cautious and pulled it away from the hedge.

 

So I'm now completely miffed as what to do as it's a significant blocker.

[Alan Ambrose]

How big is the plot? Would it ‘make much difference’ if the dwelling was moved over a bit?

[flanagaj]

26 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said:

How big is the plot? Would it ‘make much difference’ if the dwelling was moved over a bit?

The only viable option is to move the dwelling forward, but this will require another variation of condition application.

[nod]

I would move the house forward 

No one will pick you up over 600 mil 

 

[Gone West]

12 hours ago, flanagaj said:

On our drawings it's showing at 1.4m, but when I measure from the road edge, I get about 600mm

Is that measurement to the centre line of the hedge or your side of the hedge?

[flanagaj]

11 hours ago, Gone West said:

Is that measurement to the centre line of the hedge or your side of the hedge?

To the outside of the hedge on the neighbours side.  We don't own the hedge.

[Gus Potter]

On 08/10/2025 at 19:48, flanagaj said:

So I'm now completely miffed as what to do as it's a significant blocker.

Feal for you, what a scunner as we can see you have put lot's of effort into your design. Hopefully you can resolve it ok. 

 

Often boundaries are a bit vague, particularly in the country / rural. Main thing is to check and check again your deads and information, avoid if possible alerting your neighbours at this stage that there may be an issue.

 

Looking ahead, if less than 1.0m from a boundary often the fire regs (fire boundary condition) become more onerous. 

On 08/10/2025 at 19:48, flanagaj said:

At no point were we consulted about the boundary

I'm surprised your Architect failed to consult with you. It's something I do often as due dilligence, make sure that the Client understands and agrees the boundaries. 

 

[saveasteading]

Is it an ancient field hedge or a domestic one?

if agricultural then there is usually a fence as well, or the remnants of one, or of a gate.

 

Logically though, if that was planted as a field boundary within a farm, then the centre would be the boundary.

If planted as demarcation of two farms then there would be a fence first, of marker posts and then planting on the planter's  side, but then swallowing the fence up. So 200mm off centre?. Middle of hedge seems about right whatever.

 

Whatever, your designer should have kept 1m min away from it to avoid complexities. Decide what you want then tell them to sort it.

[Gone West]

13 hours ago, flanagaj said:

To the outside of the hedge on the neighbours side.  We don't own the hedge.

Although you don't own the hedge the boundary should be the centre line of the hedge plant trunks.

[Mr Punter]

Where did your topo survey show the hedge?

[flanagaj]

I'm going to ask the surveyor to come out and mark the position of the house.  I won't mention the proximity of the house to the hedge, until he's finished staking it out.  I'll then drag out the architects site plan and say "Oh, that's interesting.  I've got 1.2m on here, but only 500mm in reality"

[saveasteading]

If you use Google Earth, you  an look at older aerial views, sometimes back to wartime 19402, to see if the hedge was there then. perhaps you'll see a fence or smaller hedge?

[SteamyTea]

15 hours ago, saveasteading said:

sometimes back to wartime 19402,

Will that be one of the wars against AI.

 

 

 

[saveasteading]

S isn't even near 2 on the keyboard. 2illy me.

Carele22.

Edited Sunday at 13:09 by saveasteading

[Nickfromwales]

Defo a typo I won’t be editing out lol.

[marmic]

if there's a ditch too, or trace of one, look up 'hedge and ditch presumption' if there are boundary doubts/unknowns/disputes - but doesn't always apply either. Might be helpful?