New neighbours, potential problems

I met our new neighbours on Tuesday.

There has been considerable to-ing and fro-ing at next door, which is a new build, but has been up for sale for about 18 months (detached 4 bed house with approx 2 acres of un-usable land, which "wraps" round our garden and paddock)

They have had scores of workmen on the place, joiners, electricians, some guys looking at the fields etc.

The couple moving in are from Yorkshire, and want somewhere they can keep their horses at home, as opposed to a livery yard.

Only problem is, the land as is, is not currently suitable for anything but rabbits. It's couch-grass-tastic, filled with potholes and piles of rubble grown over with grass.

I was nice to the man, but very wary about his plans for the land until I've seen something "official" from the council.

You see, he wants to spray the whole 2 acres with RoundUp, plough it and re-seed it; but he also wants to build a floodlit sand-paddock/arena at the bottom of our garden, and stables and a double garage at the side of our garden.

There go our views to the Lake District hills!
I can't wait to get the letter from the council about planning permission...

I plan on being nice to them, and will take a card and cake round when they move in, just hope we can come to agreements about it all!

Thats a very good idea, no good wading in saying 'nope I don't want that' as they might change their minds anyway.

To be honest if I was buying a house and wanted to do something like that I'd ask the existing owners what the neighbours might think etc.

He hasn't got existing neighbours to ask, so I'd have hoped he's had the foresight to ask the developer (who may just say yes thats ok anyway as it wouldn't be legally binding) or get his solicitor/council to find out if that would be likely to get passed ok.
Basically I would check out all options first before signing, as I wouldn't want to find out I couldn't do something, or that in doing something I'd fall out with my neighbours!
But then not everyone thinks like me .

One question, hasn't he already got a garage? Usually big 4 bed houses come with a double one, ours did, esp if theres the land there for it anyway.

No, the original planning permission was for the house only. (I checked with the planning dept!)

There is no permission for any outbuildings, inc garages

Well fingers crossed they wont get it then. I'm sure the original builders would have asked for as much as they possibly could get.
Becky

oooooo tricky!!

They may get permission for outbuildings esp if there is money involved (not that there could ever be any corruption !!!) but if they have money - you know what im saying!


Be nice and pray to god you dont lose your view - coz that would affect your house price.

My dad has a paddock and stables right against his back garden and the flies are terrible. their land wraps around my dads too. behind the hedge at the bottom of his garden is a massive dung heap!!!

I hope it doesnt go ahead!

Alex
xx

Have to agree they would be unlikely to get permission for what they want, especially if you lodge an objection. Our neighbours are changing their lounge window to a bay one, won't affect us at all, but the council still approached us to inspect the plans. The original developers would have gotten as much as they could in the original permission.
Best thing here is to be "neighbourly" as you can and hope you can co-exist with each other!

Well, they still haven't moved in yet...

Sounds like everything has been going wrong for them:

The new flooring wasn't delivered on time and the joiners are still laying it.

The house needed new doors and windows upstairs to comply with building regulations (it's a new build house and has never been lived in)

The builder/developer (who is the current owner) hadn't got any of the certificates for a new build (e.g. builders certificate, gas certificate, electric certificate) so nothing could be signed

The farmer they employed to RoundUp the field can't get his tractor through the shiny new electric gates to spray the field.

No planning permissions have been applied for yet, as they can't agree on size/design of the garage/stable block

On the plus side though, we had another chat with them and they are really nice. We've babysat their dogs for them whilst they were working in the house, and have offered to do so again.

We've offered home grown veg in exchange for as much manure as we can use and any surplus game (e.g. rabbits, pheasant), as the husband shoots.

It's rather nice to have neighbours, even though I'm still dreading what they're going to do to my view!!