Patio Extension

[jubbly1]

Hi,

i'd be grateful for any advice. we have lovely new neighbours who wanted to build a single storey ground floor extension with bifolding doors onto the garden under permitted development rules. the problem is that they wanted the doors to open onto their patio and as we are all on a slope, we all have terraces that are just under 2m high that drop down onto the grass. So they have built their extension onto their existing patio, although raised it because their ground floor had steps down to the patio and they wanted to make it level. then at the end of the old patio where they now have the extension they have built a terrace that is 2m high and goes across the width of the house. our house is a about 1 m lower than theirs (we aren't the joined semi, we are the other side) and now that they are in the process of building this terrace, it's so high that when they stand on it our existing fence (our boundary) only comes up to their ankles. so they can see across our garden, our patio and into the back of our house.

we spoke to them about it and they were under the impression that it's permitted development, but it's not. we don't want to fall out with them but we can't live with it. they have said that the fence could be raised but if we raise it we are in danger of breaching planning laws that say our fence can't be more than 2m high. it would have to be 4m high to block them out to the extent they were before.

what confuses matters is that they have built the terrace alongside the house on the other side to them that they are joined to. as that house always had a terrace like it.

so given that the other side is on the same level and it's just us that are now being overlooked, do we have a leg to stand on re planning objections (assuming we take it up with the planning enforcement officers)?

 

[rjm2k]

If it's against PD and affects you then of course you have a leg to stand on, only problem is you are unlikely to remain friends with them. The other house height is not relevant.

 

[kingandy2nd]

You could ask them to install a fence on their terrace to the height of 2m rather than extending your own fence upwards.

They might wish to use willow screening or something similar as probably they don't want you looking at them, as much as you don't want them looking at you.

I appreciate that this is still likely to be a planning breach, but if the fence is on their land then it's their problem and not yours (and besides it doesn't seem like they bothered about flouting the regulations anyway).

Also a 2m fence erected on their terrace is likely to be stronger than a 4m hight fence erected on your property.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

"lovely neighbours"? Maybe that was the OP being facetious, more like neighbours from hell! Sometimes you can be too nice, a 4m fence is unacceptable for your boundary, ring the planners and get them to get heavy, I suspect this may be one of those rare domestic instances whereby maybe planning actually go beyond writing letters.

 

[jubbly1]

"lovely neighbours"? Maybe that was the OP being facetious, more like neighbours from hell! Sometimes you can be too nice, a 4m fence is unacceptable for your boundary, ring the planners and get them to get heavy, I suspect this may be one of those rare domestic instances whereby maybe planning actually go beyond writing letters.

haha, thanks for the response. i do actually think they are lovely. but i don't think they are going to be so lovely when i tell them that i'm calling the planning officers in !!

 

[jubbly1]

You could ask them to install a fence on their terrace to the height of 2m rather than extending your own fence upwards.

They might wish to use willow screening or something similar as probably they don't want you looking at them, as much as you don't want them looking at you.

I appreciate that this is still likely to be a planning breach, but if the fence is on their land then it's their problem and not yours (and besides it doesn't seem like they bothered about flouting the regulations anyway).

Also a 2m fence erected on their terrace is likely to be stronger than a 4m hight fence erected on your property.

Thanks for the response. one point i forgot to mention is that they've put their stairs off of the patio facing us. so even if they put screening up, if they want to go down into their garden they have to come down the steps and look right at us. if we really want to avoid falling out though, screening is a good suggestion.