Government’s permitted development rights can lead to neighbour fallouts, Newark Town Council hears

Permitted development rights can degrade community cohesion and lead to a fall out between neighbours, it is said.

Permitted development allows people may be able to extend or renovate without the need for a full planning application to the local authority.

Newark Town Council’s planning committee was debating a planning application for a garden room and a garden shed for Flaxley Lane, Middlebeck.

The application was submitted retrospectively as one of the structures already built was a fraction bigger than would have been allowed under permitted development.

The application attracted one objection from a neighbour over a loss of light.

During the debate on what opinion to take, planning committee member Mathew Skinner said: “We are arguing over 100mm – otherwise it would have been allowed under permitted development rights. It’s the difference between 2.6m and 2.5m.

“Permitted development rights affect community cohesion and lead to neighbours falling out.

“I recommend we offer no comment at all. We don’t support or object.”

Town clerk Matthew Gleadell said he could not speak for the district council, but felt it unlikely that they would seek costly enforcement action over such a small breach of permitted development rights.