loss of privacy

[lilythepink]

Have recently bought a semi detached bungalow(infact only 4 months ago) and have found out from the neighbour himself that he building an extension for which he has been granted planning permission.This extension is to be a one and a half storey in the middle of a bungalow site.The highest room is to be a lounge and will be overlooking my two bedrooms kitchen and entire back garden.

Help where do I stand legally as all this was proceeding whilst i was buying the property and was not informed by sellers.

Also what if anything I could plant to give me my privacy back.

[stanleyman]

You need to contact your solicitor asap as this should have come up in the searchs and must also be declared by the vendor. You could have a claim for misselling the property.

[kazza12345]

local authority searches are a rubbish waste of money .... when i bought my house, they were in the middle of starting to build an entire new house opposite mine in a conservation area, that the searches failed to bring to light!

[WendyS]

I can't believe that the sellers of your bungalow didn't know about this extension when they were planning to seel as I'm sure the planning department would have been obliged to notify them. (Perhaps this was the reason they decided to move although I'm sure they wouldn't have admitted it. Contact your solicitor immediately to see if this disclosure was made. Also contact the Planning Department to see when the planning application was made. If they didn't disclose it I'm sure you would have a case for misselling. It won't give you your privacy back but you might get compensation.

[bellasasha]

the planning department would have known about it at least a year ago so the house has been mis sold to you. i am going thru a similar situation with a shop i have bought. the day after we took over the entire road outside was dug up!! they have now taken away parking spaces and have actually ruined the business. it has transpired that the people who owned the shop before us were told about it 2 years ago and they "omitted" to tell us!! so we are now suing them for mis-selling the shop.

[Lonnie]

Normally, before work of this nature is carried out, a letter would have been sent out, asking neighbours if they had any objections. If the people you bought from had one of these, them as alredy mentioned, you've been missold, try checking with your other neighbours, to see if they have had one. Sounds like you have a good case.

[gazzawazza]

Bellasasha, (nice name), what makes you say that the planning department would have known at least a year ago?

The reason I ask is that I have just applied for, and got, planning permission granted to build an extension myself. From posting to granting of permission took slightly less than 8 weeks which is by law the time when they must grant or refuse permission.

It does look like the vendors may have kept quiet about this though, our neighbours received written notification from the council.

Just thinking about it, I suppose it's possible that the council sent notification to the vendors of lily's house which may have arrived just after the move. Lily may have seen the letter, but because it would have been addressed to the vendors, would have sent it on to their forwarding address... Hey presto... missed notification, therefore no objection and nothing showing up on the search because at the time of the search permission had not been applied for...

[lady_p_gold]

A local authority search searches on the property you are buying ... and that alone as far as planning applications go. It does not reveal planning applications on neighbouring properties unless you ask the search to include the boundaries of those properties, so the local authority search you had Kazza was not at fault, you should have asked to search on the other properties, or you could even have just looked yourself it is open to the public to see any planning applications that are made.

[buildersmate]

Gazzawazza. The reason the above posting made the suggestion was because major developments (such as a new road or a new housing estate) are part of the Local Plan, assembled by the local authority, and renewed about on a five year rolling basis. The posting is making the link to the longer strategic nature of such schemes that are planned for often years in advance. However you are right that a straightforward Planning Permission at a single dwelling is dealt with on a case-by-case basis and to a timescale of about 8 weeks.

[gazzawazza]

Yeah, point taken, Buildersmate. Bellasasha was referring to a shop (I think) funnily enough that answer has completely disappeared making me look even stupider!

[gazzawazza]

Blooming heck, it's back now making me look even stupider still!

[bellasasha]

lol aww gazzawazza!! yeah i was reffering to a shop, i thought it would be the same for houses....oops sorry peeps!!