Community Forum

My neighbour has just submitted plans for a 3-storey rear extension that will completely block light to our garden and kitchen. The council…

I'm looking to do a loft conversion with a dormer window at the back. The property is in a standard residential street, not a conservation…

We applied to replace our 1970s aluminium windows with timber sash windows in a conservation area. The council refused it saying the design…

A developer on our road (Guildford Road, KT10) has just cleared about 10 mature trees from a site they're preparing for build. There was no…

Submitted a Certificate of Lawfulness application for an existing rear extension 8 weeks ago. The council acknowledged receipt but since th…

Our neighbours are starting a basement excavation and they've served us a party wall notice. They've appointed their own surveyor and sugge…

Just discovered our whole road is under an Article 4 direction. We bought the house 3 years ago and the previous owners had already built a…

We're doing a side return extension and the planning officer has come back saying the roof pitch must match the existing house exactly (42…

We live in a Grade II listed cottage and want to open up the kitchen/dining room by removing a non-load-bearing partition wall. The wall is…

Looking at converting a commercial unit (Class E) to residential (Class C3). It's a small shop on a high street that's been empty for 18 mo…

Our Neighbourhood Plan was made in 2022 and explicitly states that new developments over 10 units must provide 40% affordable housing and m…

Applied for a dropped kerb to create a parking space in our front garden. The council refused on highway safety grounds saying the visibili…

Complete beginner question I'm embarrassed to ask. We're doing a single-storey rear extension (4m deep, under PD). Do I need to submit a bu…

Our neighbour's extension is going ahead and we're considering a right to light claim. We've had two quotes for a survey: £1,800 and £4,200…

We have a detached double garage (built 1998, so not original to the house) and want to convert it into a granny annexe for my mother. No e…

We're considering buying a new build house and the developer has mentioned there's a Section 106 agreement in place. They say it's "just st…

Our neighbour has just erected a 2.4m fence along our shared boundary. It's solid timber panels and completely blocks our view and afternoo…

We submitted a full planning application for a 4-bedroom self-build in March. The council immediately flagged that we need a protected spec…

We bought our house last year and the previous owner had built a large conservatory without planning permission. It was completed in 2019,…

Our application for a contemporary replacement dwelling went to the local design review panel. They hated it — called it "alien to its cont…

We're converting a 3-bed Victorian house into a 6-bed HMO. The council's parking standards say 1 space per bedroom for HMOs, which would me…

Our planning application was validated two weeks ago and we have the application number. But it still doesn't appear on the council's plann…

Bizarre situation. We submitted pre-app advice for a barn conversion and the council's response included a "suggested architects list" with…

Applied for a garden room/office (2.5m high, 15m2 floor area, flat roof). It's in our back garden, well away from any watercourses. The cou…

We're converting a steel portal frame barn (1980s, not listed) into a family home. We want to keep the external appearance as agricultural…