neighbours have just put a window in their new garage that totally overlooks my garden

[nettlewine]

I assumed when they were rebuilding the guarage they were just doing as before but further back. However they have plonked a triple window in. As its now further back our garages don't align and as they are much higher up it totally overlooks my garden. It is right on the property border.

Aibu to ask them to make it bricked? And if they don't is it wrong that they have done this?

We have a similar issue - land next door to us with planning permission was bought, and suddenly a 33 foot caravan has appeared there in an elevated spot with the front windows overlooking our garden and back door. DH has serious MH issues with a degree of agoraphobia, the garden was his safe place but now he can't even open the back door and feel unwatched. And it isn't temporary, they have laid the rest of the plot with grass, it's just a cheap private caravan site (seaside area).
YANBU OP

I can see where you're coming from too. I'd be annoyed too, it's simply rude. Nevermind the bamboo, put a basketball net right in front of it (where they can see it) and invite loads of your friems's kids round! They'll soon brick it up. Seriously, I would be growing some fast growing trees on the bank in front.

We have four windows in our garage and no intention of converting it. So does my dad. Both are practical men who use the garages for fixing things and workshops. They're not just storage. You don't need lights on in the daytime and it's a lot nicer to work in daylight.

I like your style Maryz - that's exactly the kind of thing I'd do

YANBU. Phone the planning dept.

I'd ring planning to see what they suggest.

I can't find it but someone on GardenLaw had a neighbour cut a new window into the boundary wall which only looked into the garden of person X. So a complete loss of privacy.

Due to the "right to light" which I am not sure they should have been allowed due to it being a new window person X put up a perspex screen, just mounted on two posts directly next to the window. Light, but no view.

Height differences between properties can have a massive impact if you are the one lower down, especially if the neighbour builds their single storey extension that is fine on their land and meets the regulations, however viewed from the lower level house can often be as tall as a two storey extension.

We have frosted film on the door into the back of our garage just so you cannot see in. I don't know why your neighbour has not done this.

I didn't think you could put a window into a wall on the boundary due to fire regs- it has to be at least 1 m back from the boundary. Check with building control.

Ah, Maryz, we are further down the slope from a neighbour who is extending in all ways she can. No one has yet given us a satisfactory answer as to where the measurement is taken from, as the ground drops away by more than a foot, both in our direction and down the garden ... We objected to a third floor she put in whilst we were away for two weeks last Summer. It was euphemistically called "a third dormer" on the plans and a side, clear-glazed window also appeared, which was not on the original plans. Discovered today they had had the site visit ny the Apprals' Inspectorate on 7/4 and, though the final date for a decision is 8/7, apparently, they are usually within 5 weeks of the visit.

First thing, go round and be honest (but tactful) and request that they consider putting some frosted glass in.

If that fails, grow some bamboo or a couple of conifers to block the view.

Easy peasy.

You need to call the council pretty quickly. I don't think there's any power of enforcement over building regs after a year and 4 for planning.

I thought there were all sorts of rules over windows, which is why several houses we looked at had very high windows on the side extension to provide light but which you couldn't see out of from inside the room.

I don't think permitted development covers all aspects.

Check planning guidelines - I am fairly sure you can't stick a window in the side of a building that overlooks your neighbours - or if you do you need obscured glass.
If it is against planning regs - are you really ready for the fight with them?

The flip side is, if you are not prepared to take this further, consider what effect it may have whwn you try to sell the property. Yes, actual disputes have to be declard but here is no point doing nothing then discovering it makes it unsellable: it was something I hadn't thought of till I was chatting to a friend of a friend who happened to work in Planning and I was wondering about whether to continue. In our case, it is more crucial as our neighbours actually did something to the structure of our house, but, even so. Hopefully, all the processes will work for you before you get to anything more serious.

Have a look at this, OP: www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/doorswindows/

In short, it says "You do not usually need to apply for planning permission for:

1. Repairs, maintenance, and minor improvements, such as repainting window and door frames
2. Insertion of new windows and doors that are of a similar appearance to those used in the construction of the house (note - a new bay window will be treated as an extension and may require permission). If new windows are in an upper-floor side elevation they must be obscure-glazed and either non opening or more than 1.7 metres above the floor level