Neighbour issue. Does anyone work in council planning department?

[Origamiheaven]

looking for some advice. 15 years ago, we purchased approximately 10 square metres of land at the bottom of our garden from a closed down sport ground to extend our garden. land registry deeds updated and had to apply for change of use to residential garden. Fences erected to define new boundary. Neighbours in adjoining property (semi detached) have over the previous 4 years encroached onto the land behind them (using my fences as the boundary) in effect doing what we have legally done. They have also erected a large shed and bike storage and basically landscaped the land to the same 10 meter depth. They defo have not purchased the land and she thinks this is ok. I am irritated by this and in 2 minds whether to report to the council as a breach of planning. How much detail would I need to provide and how sensitive would they be to keeping my anonymity. I have a timeline of the changes made and also old Google images showing the original boundary fence.. what wud you do??

Do you dislike your neighbour?

What do you want to happen? Do you want them fined? Are you just upset they're seeming to get something you had to pay for? How much did you have to pay?

I'm sorry girl but a boundary dispute is a civil issue and not a planning matter so they'd have no jurisdiction.

As long as the shed meets the permitted development guidelines re height, the council couldn't do anything, even if they built the shed on someone else's land. It'd be up to the landowner to take them to court x

I’d stay out of it. They’d know it was you and good neighbourly relationships are priceless. They will likely get found out in the end in any case.

I'd mind my own business frankly as you really don't know for sure but you do you.

I am on a planning committee and agree with this. Nothing you can do, the land owner is the only one who could dispute what they are doing.

Maybe she doesn’t know you bought the land. She’s seen you fence it off and thinks she’ll use the bit along the back of her garden.

If you bought your bit 15 years ago and they’ve encroached over four years, were they living there when the offer to buy land was made?

Identify who the landowner is and inform them is your best bet. Offer the evidence you have. Then they can act if they want to. Sadly not much you can do. But they may come into difficulty when one day they sell their house.

People up the road from us did similar including extending their 6 foot fence right around a significant area of land. After a number of years (not sure how many - maybe 15?) it legally became theirs as nobody else had claimed it. No idea of the actual legalities, but they never paid for it and now officially own it.

Perhaps your neighbour will do something similar?

Thankyou for replies. The reason I thought re planning regs is that we had to put in a planning application for change of use. Re relationship with neighbour, this is ok. I tolerate her to keep things happy. DH can't abide her. She has form for complaining about everything and is quite entitled and arrogant. I have tried to ignore the garden issue but it does bug me a bit.

She knows that we purchased the land as she was also given the opportunity to buy but declined

You can of course go and report it ! You gain absolutely nothing !

You’ll then have next door neighbours who dislike you.

Your garden, your space, your bank balance doesn’t change but if it lets you sleep at night.

I work for a local authority and honestly people like you hurt our soul.

And no need to ask on here you’ve aiready decided you’re going to report. Run it past your husband though to make sure he’s on board with turning the next door neighbours against you.

I would get a life first.

Would you say you live in a lower middle class area or more "middle" middle?

How much was the land? Are you annoyed because they are using the space but haven't had to fork out for it?

We have an orchard at the back of our house and we've used it since we've lived here. The owners died 30 ish years ago and the current owner doesn't know it's theirs. We know we don't own it but no one has been there in the 25 years we've been here so can't see any harm in us maintaining it.

God.. some of you are so judgemental. I was only asking for advice and a wwyd. I have NOT made the decision to report. I would have done this a long time ago but haven't for the reasons some of you have said. I am curious to what would happen.

I wouldn't report. Yes it's irritating that you purchased the land and they're using the bit next to them for free. But unless you want to seriously piss your neighbours off, I would leave it well alone.

I'm more worried about the fact that people can legally take land that isn't theirs when others have to buy it - and the issue is the people who think they shouldn't rather than those who do.

I'm not sure someone who clearly has no heart or soul can have theirs ruined by this situation tbh.

OP I understand totally why you're annoyed. I don't know the legalities of what you can do about it or who you can contact but I'd be pissed off too. As would most people but they won't write that here as life is a race to the bottom apparently.

I don’t think it affects you so you shouldnt do anything.

maybe you could tell the landowner, and then they might decide to buy the land if it’s still on offer. Or they might not want to buy it and it’s down to the landowner to stop them using it.

if they did buy it, they would need pp for change of use of the land but it’s very likely it would be granted because you were given permission. It would just be a tick box exercise imo. Not worth getting involved in.

Just take photos and send it to the planning department. Or you can Google the head of planning department and the emails are usually easy to guess if not supplied.
That is cheeky and out of order.
There's obviously a chance they'll guess you grassed and get angry. But tough. They've stolen whats not theirs.

I work in planning enforcement.
• You don't need to give a huge amount of detail in a complaint, dated photos are brilliant if you have them, and a simple diagram showing the area in question really helps.
• We cannot accept anonymous complaints, so you will need to provide your details. These will however be kept strictly private, only for the enforcement officer to see.
•Do bear in mind that very few enforcement complaints result in the sort of enforcement action that complainants envisage, so it's worth managing your expectations from the start. A sizeable amount of complaints result in no action taken at all.

I can't advise you as to whether it's worth reporting, that's up to you, but I spend my life wading through generally very minor infractions, all reported by 'nosey neighbours', so your issue wouldn't be an unusual one if that makes you feel better.

Well it is what it is, annoying you paid and they didn't, think the laws on adverse possession or whatnot is ~10 years?

Maybe you could extend your fence free of charge then? Grab some more land

But the fact is they can’t ! When they sell that house or if LA decide to build they’ll take it right back.

The fact is they’re doing zero harm as it stands. Not affecting the OP in any way shape or form. Giving themselves some extra space in their garden is really not the end if the world.

And again no we wouldn’t ! My neighbour dropped his kerb I know he didn’t have permission as I work for the council, he also done other stuff whereby permits are required. But you know what running away to be a tell tale benefits me in no way, no one’s in danger so why do it ? I have the attitude mind your business and stop causing unnecessary trouble.

The fact is she’s angry she’s paid that’s what this really about.

Thankyou for replies and giving the perspective needed. I agree- bigger things to worry about. The irony is tho that said neighbour wud not he happy if the other way round. She is defo the local snitch which is why dh doesnt care much for her. I have not even discussed this with anyone in real life btw for fear of her being in bother. But now and then it does bug me especially when her family come round and say how lovely it looks. but hey ho

😂 says the woman calling her neighbour entitled, a snitch, arrogant, and wanting to report her for claiming land when it has no impact on you.

@Whoknew24 I do find it interesting that you say 'no one's in danger so why do it?'. Obviously in the OP's specific case, nobody is in danger, but then you give the example of a dropped kerb without a licence. Why do you think a local authority gets involved in dropped kerbs if not to prevent them from being installed in positions dangerous to road users or pedestrians, or to prevent sub-standard works affecting the stability of the pavement? You may judge your neighbour's drive to be acceptable, but the same thing in plenty of other positions wouldn't be.
Permits and permissions can feel bureaucratic, but what's the alternative? Building towns like favelas where everyone does as they like? Planning (and other controls) are there to protect against harm, and on the whole, they do a good job. But when people start making decisions themselves about what is acceptable, it weakens the whole system.
I can unequivocally tell you though that the attitude of 'live and let live' demonstrated in this thread does not align with my mailbox, which is full to bursting with reports of unauthorised works, some very minor, some more major, but all very much mattering to someone.