Planning Enforcement and Permitted Development

The annual Residents’ Association Planning Seminar was held in the Bromley Council Chamber on Saturday 30th November 2013.

One of the items most likely to affect LERA members involved what building works your neighbour might decide to carry out. From 30 May 2013 the government has made changes to the existing regulations for permitted development that can be carried out without the need for further planning permission. 

Mike Kehoe, Chief Planner for Bromley, talked about Planning Enforcement and Permitted Development Rights. He explained the steps Bromley take if there is a query about a possible breach of Planning control. There is an aim to resolve these without issuing formal action;  90% of queries are found to be permitted development leaving the remaining 10% to require Enforcement Action. In 2013 63 such actions were taken which is more than any other neighbouring authority. He mentioned permitted development for the special case of schools, particularly Free Schools. At the moment there are no plans to open such a school within the Links Estate.

The main part of his talk was about changes for house rear extensions which apply for three years only. It means that building work allowed under previous permitted development regulations to be doubled. Developers still need to conform with Building Regulations. A one or two storey extension can be built across the back of a house to a maximum height of 4 metres. For detached houses the extension can be 8 metres deep and for semi-detached or terraced houses it can reach 6 metres measured from the original rear wall. 

More details are available at http://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/200074/planning/923/permitted_development

If your neighbours are building an extension which you feel might have a deleterious effect on your property you may first wish to discuss it with them. You can also search the Bromley website to see if they have applied for planning permission at https://searchapplications.bromley.gov.uk/onlineapplications/ You need only enter your street name to see all applications that have been submitted since January 1983. It also says whether they are pending consideration, have been allowed or been refused. If you wish to complain or comment about a neighbours development there is more advice at http://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/485/planning_applications