the planners are coming s01e01

planning laws affect all of our lives wherever we live and it's the planners who have to police the countless rules and regulations dealing with everything from applications there keeping builders on the straight narrow we've given him the weekend to do it nothing's happened we're taking action and getting tough when it all goes wrong we'll see you in court they'll help you get the building up but if you don't have permission they could make you knock it down this week a developer has somehow built nine flats instead of two houses it's just pure madness building something so big without planning mission industrial development threatens to overshadow a garden oasis you see how high that's going to be no way and plans for mobile phone masks get a poor reception this is the server we don't have telephone masts in the suburbs [Music] with a national housing shortage property developers are snapping up family houses and converting them into flats often at considerable profit but not all of them get the proper planning permission before they start work can we get it back and maybe have a very quick look inside afterwards in north london senior planning officer fabian barnard goddard is making a visit to consider a second planning application that's just been made for this site it's quite large extensions once i'm here it's a good opportunity to check but what's been built is actually what has been granted planning permission for decades the building has been used by a christian charity for missionaries staying in the uk between overseas assignments but a year ago the developers got permission to turn it back into its original state of two houses it looks very big is all i can say the house at the back used to look like that ground floor first floor and no habitat no habitable rooms in the loft now we've granted permission for this [Music] but the building looks very different to the plans which had been passed for the two houses i'm always thinking i'm on the wrong side um there's um it looks nothing like that you can see that you have ground floor first floor and then two doors and if you look at the house you have ground floor first floor second floor and then the roof with the dormers which is a bit worrying the dormers are too large the angle of the roof is it should be about like that and it's like that there's a dormer too many here a roof like too many there not a good start i think we need to go inside and it is much worse than the expected can we can we have a look fabian hadn't come to the site to check on whether the developers were building what they'd got permission for he'd come to consider the new application which was to turn the two houses into nine flats but to his amazement he's found the flats nearly finished there's no more flaws yes now there is one more before the planning permission has even been considered let alone granted oh it's furnished as well yes okay on the top floor fabian find something else he wasn't expecting this is the actual joe flats that they're hoping for in the region of 280 to 295 300 each hopefully it will be on the market so in about a week's time selling nine flats at a minimum of 280 000 will raise two and a half million pounds having bought the properties for just over a million even with renovation costs they'll show a sizeable profit we do go on site sometimes and find that something that's been applied for flying information has been built but i i've never been on the site where it was so near completion and if i came back next week i could actually buy one of the flats if i wanted to so many people just think that planning is just like a box that has to be ticked on on a project sheet when it's not you know that if you don't have planning information there can be big repercussions with such a huge breach of the original planning commission this will have to become a matter for the enforcement team [Music] planning departments don't just consider applications for new buildings they also deal with complaints from members of the public about possible planning infringements in east london planning enforcement officer john ayers is paying a visit to bill and jeanne lee's mr lee's yeah donate from the council no if you've been there they're worried about an unusual storage unit in the car repair garage behind their guard if you look further along the back of the van all right okay yeah i want to see yeah what i mean it is an eyesore it's it's an industrious don't i accept but even then it does stand out a bit and it has you know it looks it's it looks like the back of a lawyer didn't know that it's the back of the lake and you put the back of a lorry up there like this what do they use that for then all right now how long has it been how long what couple of months and the rest it's gonna have been there yeah have you had a conversation with the people who run the business there he wrote around and spoke to him and he said i was only staying there for a couple weeks we're taking it down six months ago it's still there okay right and it is another saw if you get very any really strong winds that's good it moves down you know when we had all those gals before yeah we had i got out and come out here in the morning and i found the body of a car laying down here john decides it needs closer inspection what's that used for no idea yeah the thing is it's it's awesome i didn't say that all right well what i'll do not really there's no one in the office secretary's gone all right we'll follow you around then do you have to carry that around with you is that is that essential yeah they nick it i'll put it down someone needs it because of disability gene's garden is our own private oasis i love my garden i'm always out here and i don't like sitting looking at that and they've got these lorry up there i'll never know you could probably drive it up there could you you're talking about that yeah yeah that's being moved oh it's been moved that has been now i would say for eight weeks eight weeks i mean people do say it's been there a little bit longer than eight weeks about six months no no no couldn't it be no couldn't it be what's going on june now yeah so we started christmas it was just after christmas yeah so excited all right six months okay certainly a problem let me know all right thank you all right cheers thank you thanks top i've been round to the owner of that spray shop and uh the offending vehicle uh body should be coming down about a week's time that's what he tells me he's giving me his word and i've got i've got to give him i've got to give him a shot of getting him moved yeah you've got a good benefit in the back that's right i'll be very surprised john will return in two weeks to make sure that the vehicle body has been removed in north london the application for the conversion of two houses into nine flats has been put on hold they're actually for sale now next week fabian is handing the case over to the head of the enforcement team joe henry who deals with serious violations of planning consent so no external alterations but they've got a whole floor extra interesting to get extra flats in the attic the roof has been raised substantially it just gives them more usable floor space more usable floor space means more pounds it looks like we'll have to take action another case for silly boys okay good thanks fabian [Music] joe turned up at the site unannounced to investigate [Music] the council has the power to order the demolition of any unauthorized building work even after it's completed i don't i don't need anybody all i need to do is have access to the back the rear and through the proxy okay i don't know what's wrong so that's all right okay all right thanks building something so big before planning permission has been granted is a massive gamble if the council refused consent all the work will have to be returned to its original state i accept that people will take the risk i accept that if they they wouldn't take the risk they have to take the repercussions if what they've done isn't acceptable if you've done something which wouldn't get permission then why betide you joe's not just interested in whether the developers have followed planning permission he's also got to consider whether the building work is sympathetic to the existing houses lift the windows the top of the windows they're basically right near to the eaves lo and behold look at that property which is the one subject to the planning commission it's been jacked up so there is now a big gap between the windows and you but the question is how much do we want to protect this uniformity some people are going to say i can't let them get away of it and some people are going to say what's wrong with it i know that i can see i do i always make sure i've got two hats on right try and be the person who doesn't like it and try and be the person who does like it and try and see it both both their ways and so that's that's that's that's what i'm battling with local residents lorna moore and diane brunt are clear what they think the council should do i'd love to think that they haven't just been able to do it put it in place and that the council will allow them to get away with it a council should show its teeth i think it should show that it actually has power and that people must follow the rules and enforcement has very sharp teeth joe needs to decide on his course of action if he demands changes it could have massive implications for the developers [Music] profits in east london john's returned to check that the offending vehicle body has been removed you got the kettle on mark come in thank you very much indeed how you doing all right yeah yeah not bad as well jolly good all right what can we do for you today well i understand you there's some sort of good news is there yes or no go on you give me yours first well i understand i understand the good news that the vehicle on the top of the vehicle is gone yeah can we can we go have a look at that you won't see nothing because it's done sure well yeah but i need to look to see that it's gone i need to make sure that it's gone oh well yeah you can type my word for it it's gone well it's gone problem solved stop that yeah that shot but she said to me today what's that going up about there now where she's sitting she looks straight through and that's what she says it seems there's something else rising to spoil gene's view what about that building there's you got planning permission sorry i will come back to you by the end of this week and i will let you know the answer to your questions that is too high you see how high that's going to be no way john now needs to find out whether the garage has planning permission for the new work last poor man turn out the lane in north london the flat conversion work has continued head of enforcement joe henry has had a meeting with the over-enthusiastic developers they were trying to convince me few alterations would be acceptable in terms of they had they saw no problem with having nine flats they saw no problem with the bulk at the back but it's still totally unacceptable the bulk of the roof it really doesn't look like your normal profile of a roof and in a sense it's near enough another floor so basically the whole roof has to come off because it's too steep all that all the whole lot and in the front this used to be uniform in terms of the roof profile will be down to here i i would say it's detrimental to the carrots and appearance off the street that part of the street scene and therefore unacceptable basically the roof has to come down to here so the only way they can do that is to remove the roof the whole roof when i'm considering this i have to also consider what they've got planning permission for the actual lawful position was two houses we have no alternative but to tell them to go back to a house it's just pure madness but building something so big without planning commission when there was a absolute huge possibility that they would be refused planning permission i just understand what they were doing [Music] joe has no option other than to issue an enforcement notice speak english the developers must turn the nine flats back into two separate houses new english is great sorry but i had to ask got some those notices that your bosses have been waiting for the demolition and rebuilding work plus the loss of the sale of the flats could cost to developers over a million pounds just telling them what they need to do the camera off please okay sorry for the hassle but these things have to be done all right is it okay if i have a look down the back to see how far you've got yeah sure yeah right thanks ever vigilant joe decides to check that at least the garden has been laid to plan massive car park absolutely massive so i'm going to have to notice against that now separately no way even whilst under investigation the developers have continued to flout planning permission they are very unlikely to be able to sell any of the flats with an outstanding enforcement notice so the developers appeal joe's decision after months of wrangling they finally get permission for only six of the nine flats they've built and they have to lower the entire roof it will cost them thousands to put right they gambled and they lost [Music] in east london with the threat of an ever-expanding garage on their back doorstep gene and bill have called in their son david to take up the battle with the council measurement from what's inside who's actually doing the building what are they doing their own building i've got an idea all right okay john's brought the plans and david is adamant that they prove that the garage is erecting an unlawful building yeah this is their existing building yeah this is what they're talking of removing and replacing okay but they're not they're building here and as i said here there is no permission made for that building there is no application made for this building that's being constructed as we speak right now armed with the plans john decides to question ian morris the garage owner now come with me to see if he can get to the truth of the matter oh yeah this is mr lee his mum and dad live over the back now concern has been expressed that the building isn't being built according to the approved plans okay now the new building is a drying oven for ian's car spraying business which new eu regulations have forced him to build is that the building you're building no that building now is that that would be going that will go right across here this was just an oven right so where's your permission for the oven then well the provision for the oven is well what they said to me that it was okay to put an oven up who said it was okay to put an oven up there the um people probably have enough of them so you've got no planning permission well that's that that's that's that's the question have you got any planning permission for it not for that no you haven't got any planning permission from the oven well no if i've got playing permission for this but not for the other no right okay right that mr mister mr lee i'm getting higher mr lee mr lee permissions let's get it sorted out one bit at a time yeah no no no in in perspective you're constructing a building that doesn't have planning permission well to be perfectly honest we are right okay well what i would say to you is that construction work stops here and now right okay if you want to apply for planning permission you're entitled to do so for ian this could be a deadly blow for his garage without the oven the car spraying business may not survive i think i might have to shut down otherwise i could probably keep going for six months or so to see how i get on with it but i can't see i can turn the work down i have to say a slight astonishment that that a business would try and i suppose in a gentle way get away with something that uh and freely admit to it i i'd say just just surprised [Music] it's not just buildings that need planning permission our desire to stay in touch means that mobile phone master sprouting up all over the country they too come under the planet's control [Music] in leafy north london fabian has received applications for the sighting of three new masts so right in the middle of hampstead garden suburb proposal is to install a an eight meter replica pole which is supposed to look like a telegraph pool on that little grass verge there that's what it's like now that's the grass verge where i'm standing and that's what it would be like if the pool was to be installed there in addition to sending um i think it's 400 and something letters for to inform residents that an application has been put through um we also install a site notice um so everyone even if they haven't had their letter or live a bit too fine just walk around can object if i wish to do so so that's basically now officially up for consultation hello hello what are you doing yeah i'm mr bernard i'm the planning officer fabian's been spotted by a local and she's not happy there are a number of reasons why i meant it um one it looks very unsightly i mean this is a beautiful area we don't want anything also there is a concern about the environment the other big issue is visual impact here yeah but which is a very relevant particularly here yes because in the garden suburb we are a conservation area we don't want any more polls in fact we're trying to get rid of the ones we've already got built in 1907 by social reformer henrietta barnett to provide a beautiful and healthy place for workers of all social classes to live hampstead garden suburb has now become one of the most sought after addresses in london with house prices ranging from half a million to a staggering 40 million pounds and the residents will do anything to protect their surroundings this is a server we don't have telephone masts in the suburbs to me this whole area is like a gateway to the suburb and everybody would see that as an eyesore as they are coming up people are enlightened here people know what's going on and all the hazards about health and everything so none of these people are going to allow it we are not going to allow a period mrs minal mata is determined to make sure everyone is aware of the applications about mobile phone masts disguised as telegraph poles into the area these are the telegraph poles yes since there are no other telegraph poles in the street having a replica telegraph pole would be a little out of place wouldn't it absolutely i can't see why we need it you know there are plenty i need support i need more people you'll get it definitely support you every every step of the way the community is solidly behind me apart from a petition of over 600 signatures fabian has also received dozens of letters against the proposal so that's my pile of objections and that's my pile of support because i actually got one letter of support one postcard in that case of support which is very rare people feeling that that's going to have a huge impact on them be it on the area on their health on the children's health in the surrounding schools some of them are actually quite sad to read but government rules make it clear that planners cannot reject foam marks on health grounds now that the period of public consultation is over fabian has two weeks to come to a decision [Music] in east london living side by side with an industrial estate is causing the lee family a headache a garage is unauthorized development is castling a shadow over their urban garden we would love to be looking out over rolling countryside but that one fact doesn't mean to say that you take away what we have gotten that is the sunset and it does look nice there my mum she loves it here and her gardens are one little sanctitude you know and she's disabled she can't get out and about so this is her one thing and this is what she's trying to preserve and this is what i will fight to preserve for her hello there garage owner ian morris has finally made an application for his oven and the planning officers have come to make an assessment meanwhile david has decided to start a petition against development in order to bring the application before the planning committee want me to sign it yes please it would be nice for you to be the first one yes so if you don't mind how many times can i sign it legally legally just once this will give david a chance to make a personal plea on his mum's behalf this is getting the ball rolling getting things underway gives us the opportunity as well to make all the rest of the neighbours aware of what's going on know that the garage at the back now yeah be honest they're building a huge building that's coming up i don't know if you've seen the framework so what i'm doing is coming along and seeing if people will scientists to say that they object to it would you mind it's okay if you could just if i can get a few signatures the council will look favorably and consider this would you mind signing for me please okay if you could just sign and just brief line of your address i don't feel that i'm fighting on my own it's great neighbours are saying that it's a monstrosity that's not my words anymore you know there's plenty of people that really are not looking forward to this now it's made me more determined to go on and sort this right out in north london hampstead garden suburb has remained almost untouched since it was built a hundred years ago with the growing demand for modern technology that might be all about to change minal mata is on tenterhooks as she tries to find out what decisions be made about the phone masts i'm really waiting now to hear the results because i though i know it can't be i need to hear it and i really now i'm waiting i'm getting very anxious oh may i speak to mr bernard please hello hello i'm sorry to bother you but uh has the decision been made oh the phone last yes that that was actually refused planning permission yesterday thank you i'll tell you why we felt that the poll and the equipment cabinets wouldn't be in character with the conservation area yes would have a detrimental impact upon the of the amenity that's great thank you god very good very good that's you know it's like it's just wonderful not going to happen hi he is yes really yes yes we were very worried very worried it's you know it's against all the reasons we are here we live here we can live anywhere in town but we live here because we like the idea of the place so thank you very much she's happy now but next month we may get another planning application just on the other side of the road and then the whole thing has to start again unfortunately that's that's the planning process in east london it's the night of the planning committee meeting and david is on a mission to protect his mom's garden he has only three minutes to put its case to the assembled local councillors and it's going to be a tough job because he knows that the planning officers have recommended the building for approval firstly if we can go to mr lee's that's it good evening um our application oh sorry our objection is regarding the sighting of this building we believe the building to be too high and sited in the wrong place is a quite an awful looking building and it's the only thing you can see from the back of our house and that covers exactly where the sun drops down that the orientation of our building that that's where the sun sets and that's the only bit of nature we've got there right thank you mr lee's concerned about his mother's back garden that she's not getting any sun in the evening is that what you're referring to when the sun would drop down behind that building in the but david's concerns are not shared by the planning officer with regard to the house itself i don't think there'll be any material difference at all there may be some slight loss of sunlight to the rear part of the garden as the sun drops down with no other questions the decision goes straight to a vote all those for any against no abstentions the application has been agreed thank you planning permission has been granted i'm i'm i can't believe that they've said that the sun sets behind that property and they said that it will not it cannot not cut your sunlight out if you put a block across that one aperture where the sun drops down it cuts down your main available sunlight it's not good news i'm afraid not so that is absolutely bloody gutted i can't i can't understand the unfairness of it i really can't why should he be why should he have preference you know but it's just not right it's not right at all no i can't i can't no more next time a discovery of beds in sheds completely substandard accommodation dermot gavin's got problems with the neighbours people object to if you hang your washing out on the line people will object and the owner of a log cabin could lose his home you have to face reality this may be demolished it may be you know terminated bravery comes in all shapes and sizes accidental heroes is next on bbc one scotland [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: The Forgotten Vault

Views: 1,426

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Id: q6EvGeKPMHY

Length: 29min 4sec (1744 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 17 2020