to build an extension to my house.

[marbymarby]

I want to build an extension onto my kitchen to form a new dining room. It will extend 4m from the house wall and be 2m from the boundary of neighbors garden (semi detached). It will have a pitched roof (single storey) and a door leading from it into garden and steps down to patio. The neighbors think I am being unreasonable and that they they will loose light into their bay window (which is next to boundary wall) AIBU???

No. Go for it, it's within building regs i'm assuming, it's within your property. Do it.

They can put in a complaint to the council which will be considered, but if you already have planning permission then they just have to suck it up. Where does the sun rise/set in relation to your/their house?

It's north facing so will block the setting sun from their window to some degree- don't have planning permission yet, but intend to apply.

Well in that case, expect them to object at consultation stage. The best way to get your planning permission approved is to get to the bottom of their specific concerns and find a way to minimise the impact of your scheme at design stage. Another school of thinking is to submit the most outrageously OTT scheme that addresses none of their concerns, and work backwards from that.

have a look at what you can do within permitted development rights, we were surprised and our extension didn't require planning permission at all. Although our problem have been the planning office not neighbours wrt to plans.

As far as I remember there is no legal right to light, but there is a min boundary needed so you can't extend right up to boundary line. I think it is less than 2m though. I don't think Yabu, have you been to chat with neighbours?

you can apply and they can object - thats what the planning process is for. However look at here for advice on whether you will actually need planning permission under the permitted development rights.

I can see why the neighbours aren't happy. I wouldn't be either if I lived next door to you.

I can also see why you want to extend. It's a tricky one. Are your neighbours going to be the neighbours from hell if you go ahead?

Have a read of this

There is a legal right to "ancient lights," actually.

Katz can you explain a bit more?

As far as I know I have to apply for planning permission as it will be more than 3m, otherwise I would be able to build without. Neighbors are going to object and as there is only me and dd in the house (4 bed semi) they think I don't need space. But I want to build a new dining room so I can use the old one as a family room for dd to play with friends and watch tv and keep the front room nice.

You don't need the space. FFS. 2 people in a 4-bed house. If the council give you permission then they are all posh wankers too.

We had quite a big extension across the back of our semi detached house. I think 4m out and across the back, single storey, flat roof, only needed building regulations, not planning permission.

It's not great for your neighbours if their knight is affected but we were also told that neighbours couldn't object on the grounds of loss of light

Our extension is north facing and I imagine it does make next doors bit near the house a bit darker but, from purely a selfish point of view, it's the best decision we ever made.

We now have a massive kitchen/diner family room which we live in all day.

That prob doesn't need planning
Loss of light has moved down the priorities list in recent years when objections to plans arrive so they may make your life a bit difficult for a while but they are fairly powerless ime.

YANBU to want to extend your home but what price a good relationship with the neighbours? It's always better to discuss work up front and mediate a solution than go the 'publish and be damned' route of submitting the planning applications and waiting for the inevitable bitter backlash. When my next-door neighbours wanted to gut and extend the place I had no fundamental objections but, as it was six months of upheaval, noise and dust, they made amends by paying for various improvements to my garden and fencing. See if there's something your neighbours would accept as compensation for the loss of light and you might all stay friends.

YANBU go ahead & apply for planing permission , it's done everywhere now & you / they don't own the view from their windows. I think they are the ones BU trying to stop you improving your home.

It is not up to anyone to decide whether or not you need the space, that is irrelevant. Has your house been extended before? There is some regulation to do with 10% of initial footprint.

Chat any plans through with them first in detail, see what agreements can be come to. If you can afford it and planning is agreed then it is up to you what you do with your house.

Christ almighty it's not for anyone else to say whether they think the OP deserves or needs more space or not! Bloody hell.

Anyway.

Everyone around here has extended (including us) and we were told that losing light is not a valid reason to object. I'd go for it if I were you. Neighbours are never keen when people want to extend, for obvious reasons, but IME everyone gets used to the idea and it comes good in the end

It is irrelevant how many people there are in your house, how 'posh' you are/how 'posh' the planning officers are, whether you need the room or not

It will likely fall within permitted development, you won't need planning - there is nothing for them to object to. Every single 30's semi near me (hundreds of them) have an extension across the back.

Stop telling neighbours your business or listening to them 'commenting' on how you 'don't need the space' - they're clearly arseeholes incredibly rude already if they think that they can comment on your space requirements.

Neighbors are going to object and as there is only me and dd in the house (4 bed semi) they think I don't need space

The planners are so going to love rejecting laughing at that

Damn- explain what? Why the planning office were the problem not neighbours or how we built without planning permission?

Make one of the bedrooms into a playroom?

It doesn't fall within permitted development and it is in a conservation area, the neighbors think it it is too high and too deep, it doesn't cut the 45 degree line, but the neighbors have a bay window so it will change their outlook. It is at the back so the conservation area concerns don't really apply. They would like it to be a flat roof and no more than 3ms.

Honestly this is your house and your money and your family. I mean, yes it's great to keep on good terms with the neighbours but it is odd and overly familiar that they feel they can dictate to you how you spend what will be tens of thousands of pounds on your own house for you to live in.

If they have a complaint they can lodge it at the appropriate stage of the planning process.

I mean you could do what they say and then they move out next year! It's silly.

If I were you I would get some quotes from people about doing the planning drawings and submitting for planning, and try and get recommendations from people you know for that as well. Are you near london?

We have had a monster extension, it's absolutely brilliant, our plan is to live here forever, you do what you want to do. Honestly them telling you what you can and can't do and judging how much space you need is ridiculous.