Planning Officer

[smarmymarmy]

Can anyone out there help me please? having a nightmare !! Planning officer turned up unannounced at my property on 20 Feb this year- builders started work on extension on 15 Jan, but due to weather way behind schedule. Officer told builders that there was no planning permission or application in place, no building regs had ever been applied for, and that they were to down tools , leave the site immediately, and that he would be taking both the owner ( me!) and them to court. I knew nothing of this until the following day as had gone to a funeral. I have all documentation, full planning permission, plus building regs approval dating back to 2001.I also have in my posession correspondence from the same planning officer, dated October 2009 enquiring as to when the extension would be completed! I phoned the head of dept and complained, and duly arranged a meeting between the 3 of us for the following week.The man's attitude was unbeleivably rude, bullying and unhelpful- so much so that I fully expected my builder to 'walk' I phoned and complained again. I lost 2 weeks on the job due to all of this, and then on 20 March found same planning officer sat outside my property in his car peering through the back gates. Told builder , 1 hour present the following 2 days and not seen him since. Now having to pursue builder through Trading Standards, his own liabilty insurance and the courts.Work completed declared below standard ( WHICH i DO NOT , AND NEVER HAVE DISPUTED) but I do feel that the planning officer was more than contributory to all the problems, and quite frankly should have got his facts straight in the first place.In addition to all this he swore blue blind that I only had permission for a 1 storey extension ( it clearly states 2 on all paperwork) , but he would 'do me a favour' and alter it to comply! I want to go for compensation , but have heard somewhere that I would be better off going for 'days lost' on the project due to his actions. Also have no idea how much to ask for! Please, any suggestions very gratefully received, thanks in advance. Incidentally work did commence, and was approved, in 2001, with several visits then from the ( different, and very pleasant) planning officer!

[ericsbrother]

Ther are a few pieces of case law that might help you but cannot remember them off the top of my head. Generally though, bloody difficult to prove a case against them. Better off concentrating on your other problems.