Advice Please As I'm Getting No Help

[Zumbagirl]

Hello, the house adjacent to me has been bought and the owner has turned it into an HMO. He has turned it from a 3 bedroom into a 5 bedroom. He applied to build a 6m extension which myself and the other neighbours objected to as it was going to be so imposing and it was refused by planning on the grounds that it would take away light from my garden from 11 am onwards and I would lose visual amenity. He then went on to build a 3m extension which is acceptable, I have no problem with that. We have had constant building noise for over two years; lorries coming and going, ruining the grass verges. Now, without even mentioning to anyone he has decided to build, for want of a better word...... bungalow, half way down the garden. It's an L shaped structure made out of bricks with three windows in it. It looks just like a one bedroom bungalow.It's so imposing and he's not even put the roof on yet! If he puts a pitched roof on it I'm going to lose all visual amenity, precisely why he was refused the extension. He told another neighbour that it's going to be a gym/storage but I don't believe it as he has an empty double garage for storage. I believe he is going to put more Tennant's in there. I'm so fed up of the noise and having builders looking at me all day thru my patio doors. I have a 2m high fence and this building is way higher. I contacted planning and they said when they came out in September and inspected the ground work there were no breaches, this is now November and no further inspection has taken place. Surely this size of structure can't be permitted development? It's looking right into my garden, it has three windows. I've completely lost any privacy as well as visual amenity and I'm sure when the roof goes up I'll lose light too. I'm hoping to downsize in a couple of years but now I'm so worried this has devalued my home. The last two years have been so bad that the neighbours on the other side of him have sold up and moved before this structure went up. I'd really appreciate any advice as I'm so unhappy and worried this will devalue my home. These are family homes and this guy seems to want to turn the house into a hotel. Thanks

[woofgang]

what's an HMO?

[Zumbagirl]

House of multiple occupancy

[drmorgans]

Home of multiple occupation, a regular house that's divided into flats or bedsits.

[TonyV]

woofgang House of multiple occupation but should have planning permission

[Zumbagirl]

It's only rooms and a shared kitchen, not bedsits

[woofgang]

zumbagirl can you prove it?

[Zumbagirl]

Prove what?

[davebro]

If the new structure is more than 2.5 metres high it requires planning permission - notices should have been posted & planning committee gone through.

[Zumbagirl]

@davebro he told another neighbour it's permitted development and the walls are definitely higher than 2.5m and he's still got roof to put on!

[NellieMay]

PGarden sheds, greenhouses and other buildings
Planning permission is not required provided that:
1. The shed / greenhouse / building is used for domestic purposes only.
2. The ground area covered by the shed/greenhouse/building and any other buildings within the boundary of the property, excluding the original house, is not more than half the total area of the property.
3. No part of the shed / greenhouse / building is in front of the principal or side elevation of the original house that faces onto a road.
4. The maximum height of the shed / greenhouse / building is 4 metres.
5. The maximum eaves height of the shed / greenhouse / building is 2.5 metres if it is within 2 metres of the property boundary.
6. No part of the shed / greenhouse / building is within 3.5 metres of the boundary with a road to the rear of the house.
7. If you live in a house within a World Heritage Site, area of outstanding natural beauty or National Park the maximum total area of ground covered by buildings, enclosures and pools situated more than 20 metres from any wall of the house does not exceed 10 square metres.
8. If you live in a house within a conservation area, World Heritage Site, area of outstanding natural beauty or National Park the shed / greenhouse / building is not situated between the principal or side elevation of the house and its boundary.
9. The building is not used for the keeping of pigeons.
Note: Measurements are always calculated using external measurements.

[woofgang]

can you prove that he is turning the house into an HMO?

[NellieMay]

However, if he intends to rent it out he will have to obtain permission for change of use and install sewerage, water and electricity.

[Zumbagirl]

@woofgang it is an HMO, there are tennants in there already. In fact two of them have moved out as they were cabin crew and they were fed up of the noise, they couldn't sleep after flights. They told me they turned on the kitchen taps and sewage was coming up. They filmed it and showed the owner who just said I'll fix it. There are pipes sticking out the ground everywhere and he joined the roof of his extension on to the neighbours extension. They have moved. This guy doesn't consult or consider anyone, he just does what he likes and gets in cowboy builders. It's an absolute mess

[NellieMay]

Report all this to your council planning and building regulation departments. They have a duty to investigate. He also needs to have the main house inspected to see that it complies with HMO rules and regulations.

[Zumbagirl]

The local planning are useless, I've sent them about 6 emails and they didn't reply to even one. I then contacted my MP who wrote to them and requested an immediate investigation with a written response. They did respond saying they had been round in September and didn't note any breaches in the ground work but I have no idea if they inspected the house

[davebro]

Correction - 2.5 metres height to the eaves, 4 metres overall for a pitched roof, 3 metres overall for any other type of roof.

[woofgang]

if its an HMO have you considered talking to the tax office?

[NellieMay]

Phone them up ask them. They can't withhold information. I have had loads of dealings with planning and building control. You will find details about the planning on your local council website. You just have to enter your neighbour's address. However, You will need to speak to Building Control to check with them about their more recent checks.

[Zumbagirl]

@davebro when you say the eaves, do you mean basically the height of the walls should only be 2m high? They're definitely higher as my fence is 2m high and it's way higher

[davebro]

Walls 2.5 metres + 1.5 metres for a pitched roof.