To not want the neighbours to build a balcony over-looking our back garden?

[lecce]

Dh got chatting to the builders who have been working on their house for a while now. The next part of the project is a balcony attached to their bedroom that will overlook our garden. If they sit on it while we are sitting out it will be like they are our lifeguards!

AIBU to be annoyed that they haven't mentioned it and, well, just that it is happening?

Don't they have to apply for planning permission for that? Our neighbours did!

You cannot control who over can see into your garden if you have neighbours

Check with the council, they may need permission.

Like because I would have thought they would need planning permission for a balcony

They will need planning permission for that, and 'overlooking' is one of the criteria they look at.For a window, some overlooking is usually avoidable, but houses have to have windows.A balcony is a different kettle of fish! I they start work on it, call the planners at youjr council and will issue a stop notice and they will have to cease work and apply for planning permission.

I don't see the issue, people can see through windows and they could look at you all day.

Contact your local council planning department and ask them if you have any come-back. They may need planning permission and not have applied for it - or they may not need it. Either way, you should find out where you stand.

A friend of mine got the planning permission altered for her neighbour's extension for the same reason recently, they are still allowed the extension but not the balcony which would actually have been over part of her driveway/garden.

I wouldn't be too impressed. Definitely call the planning dept.

Our neighbours put in a planning application to do put in an upstairs balcony. We didn't object because we value our relationship with them, but the couple on the other side did. I believe a planning officer came to visit and gently persuaded my neighbours to drop their application as it was unlikely to be successful.

Did you get to see the plans before the builders started? Did your neighbours post them at the gate? We were not allowed to have a balcony out of our bedroom as the neighbours objected and planning permission was turned down by the parish council.

Yeah contact the planning department as overlooking is an issue they take into consideration, but I thought that after planning permission had been applied for there was a time frame in which to object. That could be wrong though, I've only known other people go through the process and have not done it myself.

Pretty sure you need PP for a balcony, and if they had made an application you should have had notification.

Definitely call your Planning Office on Tuesday.

check if they have the right permissions with the council
and plant a big lelandia tree (grow really fast)

I do think a balcony is very different to people looking out of the window. I wouldn't be happy with that.

We applied for a balcony and it was rejected for the reasons you mentioned.

Definitely contact the planning department or your local council website and look at the planning department section. You can search to see if there is an application in process or has already been approved/rejected.

Yep if they were going to build a balcony your neighbours should be aware that this would require planning permission. They need to post their plans up on their gate and you have a certain time in which to object. I am not sure if this varies from area to area though and are you in England OP?

Just another thought all planning applications for our council may be viewed on line so you might like to check before Tuesday whether your neighbours have submitted plans.

I tried to get planning permission on the rear of my house and Wiltshire council came to see me and told me that it would overlook my neighbours garden ad despite him having no objections planning permission would not succeed.

But balconies are built to sit on and if they're e going to the effort to build one, they'll want to use it. Most people dont sit gazing out of their bedroom window on the other hand.

You realise you're replying to a thread that's almost 9 years old @KeithGC ?!

We had a similar issue. We got on great with our neighbours when we moved in, often over each others. We have a big garden and made quite high fences on all 3 walls at the back of the garden. We have a hot tub and a small changing room. As it was private, we would sometimes use this naked. Why not, right?
One set of neighbours built a balcony (can you see where this is going…) Well, it completed one summer around the same time my DP turned 40 and we had a party to celebrate. As it turns out, this party was one of the times we had decided to utilise the back of our garden in our birthday suits. We didn’t see our neighbours in their balcony while we were out as it was dark, but they havnt spoken more than pleasantries to us since (and it’s been about 3 years).

Hi our neighbours balcony looks over my drive and garden . The council granted planning permission and we weren’t entitled to be informed so couldn’t object.

ZOMBIE THREAD!