to wish neighbour could have warned us?

[punter]

The house side on to us has a boundary fence about 10 feet from our sitting room. (no this is not a 'fence' thread!). Recently sold the new owners have dismantled the garden, every tree has gone and there is a JCB, tree surgeon and chipper on site for the last 3 weeks. It of course makes no difference to the noise etc if the neighbour had warned us but perhaps would have made me feel more respected and less likely to shout Fuck Off at the next skip/waste/delivery lorry that parks outside if they had. Am I expecting too much?

[Rosa]

Sounds liek they are about to develop the site...... so you could be in for worse!!!

[KoalaDownUnder]

What's a JCB?

They sound a bit like wankers, sorry. But I hate it when people chop down every tree on their property so they can cover it with building.

[IceRebel]

It definitely sounds like they're going to develop the site. You have my sympathy, short term building and landscaping work is bad enough, but living next to a housing development is another form of hell altogether. :(

[SoupDragon]

If they were going to develop the site, the OP would have been notified by the planning department. Unless they are just doing a permitted development build.

[justasingularity]

I would have a look at your local council planning applications to find out just what might be going on - sounds very drastic for a bit of garden redesign. Also if they have put in planning applications you should have been informed.

[possumbird]

If the property shares a boundary with you, the council are duty bound to inform you of any planning applications. You can object as long as you have reasonable grounds

[GoblinLittleOwl]

Exactly the same as my new neighbours, who destroyed their small and pretty garden.
They cut down every single tree,( revealing a very ugly public building the trees had been grown to conceal), rooted out the hedge, removed every single bush, plant and flower, dug up the turf and replaced it with gravel, moved the pond and garden shed, pulled down the conservatory and replaced it with an ugly brick extension, covered the patio with decking, and filled the 'garden' with succulents that look like Triffids and spend a third of the year covered in sacking. The only thing they have not replaced is their boundary fence, four feet high, so I can't avoid seeing their very ugly, and noisy garden, and it allows my neighbour to stare right through my house. I have no privacy in my garden any more; I wish I had replaced their fence with a tall one when I could afford it.
If your neighbours are planning to build they would have to apply for planning permission and you would be contacted.

[Floralnomad]

Did they not need permission to take down all the trees ? Where we are unless it's a fruit tree most have TPOs and the parish council object if you try to chop them down .

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

What was the garden like before? Was it very overgrown & in need of attention? If so, a nicely landscaped garden would probably be nicer to look at from your upstairs windows in the long term.

It does sound like a huge job though - must be costing them a fortune! I wouldn't assume they are planning to build (other than permitted development and sheds/greenhouses etc.) if you haven't received notification of a planning application yet. Surely a person would obtain the permission before moving in the JCB?

You're right though, it would have been polite to apologise in advance for any disruption.

[unlucky83]

I feel your pain - but when my nice neighbour had a loft extension type thing done they did warn me - but it didn't help.
After a few days of banging I was getting ratty. (I work from home and I couldn't concentrate). Then it quietened down and I was trying to get numbers to add up when they started knocking through the roof for the windows -really loud, right next to my office window.
I asked them how much longer they thought they would be doing it for (so I could decide whether to give up/go out or wait) they told my neighbour I had complained (excuse for a break I think) ...I ended up grovelling to my neighbour for being unreasonable
On the other hand....your neighbours may just not have thought/realised ...
When I had a new kitchen I didn't warn anyone cos it wouldn't be that noisy.... Then at 8am when the electricians started 'chasing out' for the rewire and I was at the opposite side of the house with my ears bleeding and the whole house shaking I realsied that maybe I ought to have .
(Did apologise and hand out bottles of wine!!!)

[punter]

JCB is a mechanical digger.. There is no planning application in and yes we would have had a letter. In fact went round to see the landscape gardner now he has put up his advert board, and asked them whats going on. (new owners are not around, sensible of them) Apparently, new patio, returfed lawn and a pergola are planned. I am now no doubt the mad woman from next door. It was just an ordinary slightly cluttered surbuban garden before with trees and bushes cutting down the traffic noise and reducing views from our windows straight into their house.
Looking forward to any bottles of wine!

[punter]

update if anyone wants to know. Now they have felled all the trees including a very high eucalyptus, we can now see into the back sitting rooms and bedrooms of the two houses from our 2nd floor windows. Their ground floor reception rooms do not have blinds or curtains. Trying not to see but very difficult not sure they realise. As it is usually my children/grandchildren who use our top rooms I cannot guarantee they will not become essential viewing!

[InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream]

Grrrrr! WHY do people have to cut down every tree??! So infuriating! Put some fast growing trees and shrubs your side. You can buy big ones if you don't mind paying more.

[SilasGreenback]

Just to put the other side. We bought a house with a very overgrown garden. Things like a 30 year old Christmas tree that blocked loads of light.

We have been gradually reducing the trees to reclaim garden.

At first the neighbours were pleased as it made their garden lighter. Now they are complaining about feeling overlooked.

But their garden is open and mostly lawn & flower beds. In places our garden was only 50% of the width due to the 'screening'.

It's unfortunate for you that you have got used to all the screening provided by someone else, but if you want the privacy etc then you have to plant the things in your own garden.

We aren't removing all the trees by any stretch but have taken down at least a dozen massive conifers and pruned other trees and bushes. We want to end up with space for a patio and a large lawn area for the children to play.

[bigbluebus]

I don't understand why people want to chop down trees and bushes that screen their houses/windows from the direct view of others.

We have a tree in the corner of our garden. It stops the direct view into our garden and dining room from 2 houses behind us. There is one branch from our tree which overhangs the corner of the NDNs garden. It stops the view from the windows of the house behind us looking straight into his kitchen and dining room. NDN wants us to chop down the branch - we have avoided the issue as we don't want it removing. He is of course quite within his rights to chop it down himself and throw it back into our garden but he won't as he would have to get someone else to do it and that would probably cost money which he won't pay even though he could afford it

Why do people want to live like fish in a goldfish bowl. We take every opportunity to put things in our garden which stop the view from the neighbouring houses without necessarily blocking out light. The only thing I have not yet managed to block it that from another neighbouring house where the owner lets out a couple of room to some men. I was pegging my washing out the other day and was being watched. Next time if I'm feeling brave, I will wave. .

OP, I feel your pain about the noise and disruption. I lived next to a building site for 12 months - where I really was watched every time I went into the garden. It would have been polite if your neighbours had given advance warning even though it wouldn't have made any difference to the noise.