Neighbours decking over looking all of our garden

[Beryliebear1]

I am new to all of this, I have joined out of shear frustration. Our neighbour has extended an existing deck/balcony to cover his entire garden and now he completely over looks our entire garden and can see into the back rooms of our home. He never even asked us if we minded, he just went ahead and built it. We contacted the council who sent someone out to look at it. We have been told it doesn't need planning permission as is it within 300mm of the height of his front door threshold. We live on a hill and the ground falls away front to back, the back doors are on the floor below the front. The deck is built right up to our garden wall, we have no privacy at all as a result and now tend not to use our back room. Our neighbour has 3 Akkita dogs and the deck has a 75cm feather board fencing around it. I am really worried that the dogs will jump the fence as occasionally our grand children play in the garden. Does anyone know if there is anything we can do to get this erection removed?

 

[r896neo]

Its not only the 300mm issue but also the decking in combination with extensions or outbuildings must not cover more than 50% of the total garden area

 

[r896neo]

Also the 300mm is nothing to do with the front door it is to do with the maximum height ground level. Unfortunately on a hill this means that while it may be a metre of the ground at one side the other end is only 250mm above meaning it still complies.

 

[Beryliebear1]

I am so confused because where the deck joins his house, its closest point to the ground it is roughly 7 feet above ground level, the ground then falls away and at the end of the garden it is about 8foot 6 inches above ground level. The council have told us we can not increase the height of the garden wall without planning permission and as the wall is 8f 6 inches at its highest point we are unlikely to get permission. As far as I can see we are stuck, and to add insult to injury the idiot talks to us over the top or comments on my undies when they are out on the line. They also have loud bar b q parties out there and have now erected a gazebo on it. Our neighbour offered to put up a trellis which we thought would help but when it went up it was really tatty and only added an extra 2 foot and didn't run the full length of the deck and he now stands there and looks over the top of it!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

cover his entire garden

Aye as mentioned this requires permission plain and simple I would contact planning and ask them why they think it does not need permission. The rules are very clear:
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/decking/

 

[Beryliebear1]

Thanks for the advice, I will call the council again tomorrow and with your help hopefully get somewhere.

 

[trollmaster2000]

You should plunder his gold, burn his livestock, and salt his land.

 

[big-all]

dont forget extensions and other garden buildings eat into the 50% as well so if he has already used up 30% that will only leave 20%