Garden Walls

[namechange1234567890]

Name changing for this because I don't want to cause trouble with the neighbours until we've worked out what to do.

Our neighbours have been building a patio and have put up a brick wall along side of it on our boundary. The wall isn't finished yet but we think all it needs is capping.

The gardens slope so the patio itself is raised about 6/7 courses of bricks off the ground. The wall along our boundary is an extension of the retaining wall and at the moment is 208cm tall at the shortest end (we can't measure the other end easily because of where our fence is but the ground slopes down from where we measures and the top of the wall is level). The wall is 1 brick wide (215cm). Is is about 4m long and I can't see and it just stops at the end, there are no pillars or other bracing structures. They have not disturbed the ground on our side to create foundations.

I know that this breaks planning regs and they haven't applied for planning permission but I don't want to cause problems and report them as we are going to be applying for planning for an extension ourselves in a few months. Though I will use that for leverage if I need to. My question is, is it safe? I don't want my kids to be in danger from falling masonry.

According to this page www.gov.uk/guidance/your-garden-walls-better-to-be-safe the maximum height of a wall that is one brick wide should be 145cm. Is this from their patio or the ground on our side (I'm assuming the patio?). What precautions should they have taken to ensure the safety of the wall? We're going to have to talk to them about it and I want to know what I am talking about. I have a friend who nearly died after being hit by a fallen brick so I may be being over cautious. I'm hoping that someone here can tell me if I am being.

[TheFourthStooge]

I have no idea I'm afraid, however if you're getting an extension yourselves could you ask the professional opinion of your architect/builder to see what they say on the quiet and go from there?