Planning Application gone beyond target response date..
 

Hi, i put an application into the local Planning Authority to notify my wish to extend my house back in July.
The 8 week window to gain response was reached almost 3 weeks ago. Having called a couple of times I've had:
'The planning officer dealing with your application is currently on leave'
and
'She's back from leave but due to staff cuts we are struggling to cope with the amount of applications'.
Ok fine, but they cannot seem to commit to a new date so I'm nonthewiser. I'm in a tricky situation because if I become too impatient and therefore more vocal they may reject my proposal because they can..
Don't get me wrong I can wait as I'm not looking to turn the extension around quickly to make money and sell - I'm doint this as a long term thing. But... The principal here is that it says 8 weeks for Plannng turnaround so why don't local authorities revise this statement to something more realistic given the cut backs?

Can anyone advise best approach as I ultimately want to get an answer.

Nick

Email to the chief executive with a copy of the planning officers charter of 8week turnaround will ensure they get a bollocking and move you to the top of the tree

Lots of changes in planning on the next couple of years with less rejections and encouragement to build to get the country moving again

An eight week target seems quite ambitious, the ones I've dealt with have a 12 week target.

I would send a very polite email to the head of planning (rather than chief executive) explaining the situation and asking for his help.

Btw are you sure you even needed planning? Could you have done it under permitted development rights?

In England and Wales the planning department of your local council are required to deal with your application within eight weeks from registration. If they feel they can not deal with your application within this timescale due to the application being very involved etc then they are obliged to ask your permission to extend that period. If they do not ask or you do not agree you are entitled to receive a decision based on the information they have or lodge an appeal for non determination.

The problem with all this is that if you ask for a decision it will almost certainly be a refusal, if you appeal it is likely to take 6 months. They know this so you are better to just hang on and make a polite nuisance of yourself.

Your local councillor can help in these matters, if you look like getting refused then ask your councillor for support, he can demand the application goes before the committee who have the power to overturn the decision.

Thank you, I never knew about the eight week target.

Makes a change from the usual garbage that people spout on here to actually learn something useful.:)

I would of said a polite letter / email to the head of planning / development explaining that the 8 week determination period has come to and end, and you have not been notified of the Local Planning Authorities decision regarding planning ref: XY

They are usually quite quick to ask for an extension, but sometimes you have to remind them a few times as they can be many weeks behind on applications.

Does anyone have any similar extensions around? Is what you're planning likely to be refused? I would kick the footings out and get on with it lol

Mick

I'm a architect , planning rarely stick to the dates

Did you check a box saying that you agree to extension of time / conditions to be applied ?

Check your public access for comments on the application as if all your neighbours complain they might be looking into it

Emailing higher execs won't do any favours as I've pissed them off plenty and they just issued a refusal notice

Thanks for advice guys.

One of my neighbours objected due to his belief that we would block out a lot of natural light into his kitchen. Without going into detail the part of the extension he refers to is off to one side, i am aware of the '45 degree rule' and his problem wouldn't be if he cut down the huge bushes directly facing his kitchen..
We've not fallen out over this as it's not my style and I'll leave it to Planning to make a judgement.

My architect filled in the Planning Forms on our behalf and I do check the Planning portal daley for updates.. The objection note from neighbour is on there and I believe the desision is now down to Planning..

Carry on being patient then fella, hopefully you'll hear something in the next few weeks :thumb:

Mick

Ah so you had a architect , what's his advice ? Always depends in the area and quality of info provided

I seen some shocking drawings

Civil servants typically work at one of two speeds. Slow. And Stop. Defined benefits pension is also an outrage.

Just build it and hopefully it will take them ages to start to act even if the change up from Stop to Slow 😊