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Property/DIY

Garage Conversion Windows Overlooking My Front Garden

12 replies

herolovesclaudia · 09/01/2017 20:33

Today my awful neighbour started a garage conversion. The garage doors face my front garden and I am assuming that these will be replaced with windows. My problem is that if this is the case I will have no privacy so anyone inside these rooms will see me in my garden and all my comings and goings. They already have a chair in their bay window directed at my house and all of windows in the rear of their home overlook my garden. I am going to check with our local planning department to see what the plans actually are. Any time we have converted or extended we have informed our neighbours and let them see how the plans will look. These are new neighbours who moved in just over a year ago and have made several accusations against my family and me. Stealing their front garden, flooding their garden (wettest winter in 100 years) and cleaning my gutters with petrol (car shampoo) among many others.

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herolovesclaudia · 09/01/2017 20:34

Sorry should have also read am I being unreasonable

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wowfudge · 09/01/2017 20:48

Put a six foot fence up just inside the boundary. No planning permission required.

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herolovesclaudia · 09/01/2017 21:10

It’s a front garden with restrictions plus the fence in the rear garden is in the wrong position in his opinion. He likes to tell me that I am stealing his garden. In fact that was his introduction. There are 4 metres between the houses and I have 1.5 of that. DH works away and he thinks that he can intimate me. Unfortunately I had a really good relationship with previous neighbours and I was paid to tend their garden and to make it easy for me I removed all borders. I was stupid enough not to put them back in when the house was up for sale. I have thought about waiting until they are on holiday to replace them.

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VeritysWatchTower · 09/01/2017 21:11

Their planning application should be online so you can look now. Just visit your council website planning section.

Secondly, there are many ways to increase privacy. Trees, fences or if you wish to bypass the high hedges act plant something that doesn't class as a tree or shrub, ie bamboo.

Windows are for looking out of, not just for allowing in light. Maybe you are not as interesting as you think and your neighbour just wants to look out of their window.

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JennyHolzersGhost · 09/01/2017 21:14

Did they not apply for planning permission ? That was your chance to object.

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WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 09/01/2017 21:18

Missing the point, but I'm struggling to understand the position of the two houses . Is their garage opposite your front garden? Is the back of their house opposite the front of your house? Aren't they separated by a road or path? Surely it's quite normal to see the front of someone's house or garden?

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ToadsforJustice · 09/01/2017 21:23

Put up two posts. String up a washing line. Keep a king size duvet cover pegged to it - all day and all night. They can't see in. You can't see them. It's not a structure needing planning permission. Probably.

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Heratnumber7 · 09/01/2017 21:29

You don't have any right to privacy in your own garden. If you did, most of the houses on new Barratt and Wilson Homes estates would not be built the way they are.

It sound as if you're plenty overlooked already. What difference does one more window make?

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herolovesclaudia · 09/01/2017 21:36

VeritysWatchTower - yes we are as she walks across my garden when she goes out and has a good look in the window and every time I come home she looks out. She also listens to conversations that we have in our rear garden.
WhatWouldTheDoctorDo. - Our houses both face north but their garage faces west so it over looks my front garden. Our house sits high so unless you are very close to the house you can't see in. It’s the fact that my every move can be watched. I am a very private person and I already feel watched so when they have windows actually looking straight at me. When I am cutting the grass, cleaning the car, washing the windows. I know its normal to have people around but I am not an exhibit. I have lived here for 14 years and we have great neighbours who are there but we are all private people. They are not.
JennyHolzersGhost - they did apply for planning permission but the council never contacted me. The drilling alerted me.
I know that I am being paranoid but I have had nothing but problems since they moved in.

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herolovesclaudia · 09/01/2017 21:40

I know I don't have a right to it but actually I live in a small street with 4 houses I only have them looking in and my view is trees and hills. In the summer I put up canopies with curtains which give us privacy in the rear.

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PigletJohn · 09/01/2017 21:51

"they did apply for planning permission but the council never contacted me."

That's very odd.

Also, when I've seen plans for extensions, the approved plan has specified that any windows on the side (i.e. facing the neighbours) must have frosted or opaque glass.

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herolovesclaudia · 10/01/2017 08:05

Its on the council website as planning permission and not building warrant. I thought that I had to be contacted too. When we have extended we haven't been allowed to have any windows looking onto others. One was only allowed a vellux as it was too high to see. To be truthful I think I fence on my side that he has no right to and some screening trees are in order. I have checked my deeds and I can go 4 foot so hopefully that will help.