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Of councils, property, planning and Google Earth

ended 02. July 2025

A journalist at the Mail Online is writing a piece TODAY on how Google Street View / Google Earth can sometimes be used to win or contest planning battles, and for examples of how the council can use it against people. They're also keen to get views on whether people should blur their homes on Google Maps, although some cyber security experts have warned against this. Any views, anecdotes or experiences you have, send them across. Deadline is ASAP.

4 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Rob Peters
Principal at Simple Fast Mortgage
Google Street View is a double-edged sword in planning. Yes, it can help homeowners prove historical use, but it also arms councils with an evidence base to challenge unauthorised works. Blurring your home is a personal choice, but what you gain in privacy you may lose in practical proof if planning battles come a knocking.
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Harry Goodliffe
Director at HTG Mortgages
Street View is the new planning inspector. Councils are using old Google Earth images to catch out dodgy extensions or backdated builds. I've seen entire appeals crumble over a single timestamp. Blurring your house might feel smart, but it often just raises eyebrows and invites more scrutiny.
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Editor
Pete Mugleston
Mortgage Advisor & Managing Director at onlinemortgageadvisor.co.uk
Google Street View is increasingly used in planning disputes, whether by councils or homeowners. Councils can also use Street View to track unauthorised changes or usage over time, potentially catching out homeowners who've skipped the planning process. Blurring your home on Google Maps is a bad idea that will just lead to the Streisand effect; trying to obscure something just leads to more scrutiny of it. It's best to be open and transparent in these cases.
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Kundan Bhaduri
Entrepreneur, Investor and Landlord at The Kushman Group
As any London property developer will tell you, the fight for planning permission isn’t just about bricks and mortar, it’s about data, optics, and occasionally, what your house looked like on Google Street View in 2015 or 2012 for that matter. With councils under pressure and short on boots on the ground, it’s no surprise many are turning to Google Earth and Street View as digital enforcement officers. I’ve seen cases where time-lapsed satellite imagery has been used to prove the unlawful construction of garden annexes, unapproved dormers, and even so-called “stealth extensions” in suburban boroughs. One developer I know jokingly refers to Street View as "planning’s CCTV." It's not far off. As for blurring your home? Unless you're an A-lister or have MI6 parked out front, I’d advise against it. Cybersecurity concerns are valid, but removing yourself from view might raise more suspicions than it removes. After all, sunlight (and Google Maps) is the best disinfectant.