Oz07 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 On 30/10/2018 at 11:58, Moonshine said: Just need to vent, appologies. I was advised by the council that i could submit a pre-app for comment, but was warned there was a backlog and i was looking at 12 weeks waiting time. O.k that's annoying, but i figured i could wait that time (its a free service), and bit the bullet and submitted, 11 weeks ago...... Yesterday i phoned the planning dept as i wanted to submit some further information, and was told on the phone that there was case officer for it and to email it directly them, excellent i thought things are moving, and submitted yesterday. This mornings reply from the named 'case officer' is that actually there is no case officer assigned at all, and full applications take priority, and they cannot state when they will be able to respond to my pre-app. Further they then indicate that i need to submit a full application in order to discuss any issues or concerns with my proposal (which they would do promptly). Basically i feel that i have wasted 11 weeks in the planning system, just to be told that i should have just submitted a full application, and more importantly not have had any chance to discuss my proposals with the council and be collaborative with them about it, and get their comments early doors rather than just submitting a full developed scheme, that they haven't has some input into! yes, I could submit outline planning, but the cost is pretty much the same than a full application and i don't think it would really help matters. I found this out early last year, pre app took longer than an application would of as applications take priority. Planner advised some changes, I submitted as was originally drawn as didn't agree (subservient extension etc) and was passed without question. These local authorities are becoming a joke. Time for a reduction in planning fees! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bored Shopper Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 Fascinating to see how unregulated this whole thing is, a complete postcode lottery! Our pre-app took 2 months (happy Christmas!), although they state on the council website that they should respond in 2 weeks and have a meeting in 15 working days. There was no site visit, they could not be bothered. Came back 50%/50% on positive/negative, and mostly point out the overlooking and loss of daylight aspect, although we clearly stated all side windows were obscured and unopening, etc etc. Our current bungalow is the lowest ridge height in a line of 5 houses, EVERYONE overlooks us (sides and garden), a property at the end of the garden has a SF dormer overlooking EVERYONE, but we can't refer to that since the council has this lovely clause in their planning policy that "poor existing design will not be accepted as a precedence for poor schemes". This could have been all explained if only they bothered with a site visit (for £285 that we paid for the pre-app) but hey.. back to the drawing board now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 So things have progressed a bit in-terms of the process, we had the pre-app site meeting, which wasn't all negative, and some flashes of positives. I was waiting on the response, but got tired of waiting and have got my architect working up the plans based on verbal comments, with the hope to submit mid to late April. I am hoping to have the pre-app response in that time similar to the verbal comments, and gently nudge the planning officer that we are going to submit and would love to have their comments before we do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bored Shopper Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Update: Since our council strongly objected to us having second floor and being higher than neighbours, we ditched the idea (goodbye, my sun-lit art studio! I'll have a gym to slave in instead... matter over spirit 'n sh*t, you know ?) and instead decided to be true hobbits and designed a basement instead. Changed roof to half-hipped. Re-submitted for 2nd pre-application advice. This time it took them three weeks, we even had a secret incognito site visit from the offices (who visited in a stealth mode), who discovered that we were too close to the boundary and wants us now to set in away from the boundary by another 550mm. Oh woe. Our plot is quite narrow (c. 12m across) so chopping off half a metre is painful. On a positive site, he acknowledged the new roof "as an improvement" on the current scheme and did not object to the basement. Now awaiting final set of final-final drawings so we could apply for a full permission.... fingers crossed... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone West Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 11 hours ago, Bored Shopper said: fingers crossed... Good luck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine Posted March 19, 2019 Author Share Posted March 19, 2019 I got my pre-app response back recently, just shy of 7 months after being submitted, its pretty positive with comments such as the principle of the development, design, scale and massing is considered acceptable, which has to be a big tick! There is one thing in the response that is going to cost me £££ at this stage that i hadn't accounted for, but not the end of the world. Lets see how it goes once the full application goes in, in a few weeks time, but at least it gives me the confidence to proceed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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