REGARDING Martin Butterfield's letter entitled 'Extension woes'.

We live next door and were very interested to read his letter about the extension being built on the house that backs on to his garden.

We had an extension to our own house built a few years ago, and we obtained consent from the builders of the Mereheath Park estate because there is a restrictive covenant that requires us to do so.

Redrow stipulated that we should get written confirmation from the owners of each of the properties which are adjacent to our house that they did not object to the proposed extension. Redrow then sent us their formal agreement to the extension.

We were advised to keep this agreement with the deeds of our house because it would be required in the event of any sale.

We guess you could say this is a localised planning consent process, the very sensible idea being that when building work takes place, no-one who is likely to be affected by it will be surprised by the result.

When we have been through the process for our, or our neighbours’ extensions, we have always come to amicable agreements, such as moving the position of a window - harmony reigns!

It seems likely that similar restrictive covenants apply to the rest of the Mereheath Park estate, but we wonder whether they are being observed.

Jon and Jane Cartmel

Knutsford