Neighbours extension

[Extensionwoes]

I'm wondering what to do.

My neighbours live on higher land than us and their house is set forward. They wanted to build a two storey extension but I suggested single storey would be more reasonable as it would be less dominant. Two storeys would look like three storeys whereas one storey will still be above us but better.

Anyway I didn't object to the single storey extension and they got planning permission with certain conditions which included asking permission if they wanted to do anything on our land.

The building works are going ahead and I'm fine with the extension on the plans. However while I was out they put scaffolding all along the side of our house on our land without asking permission and climbed over a locked gate to do so!

Also the extension has been built higher than the planning permission (3.3 metres instead of 2.7 metres which makes a lot of difference on higher land)

AIBU to be upset? If so what should I do?

Sounds like you've been reasonable and they've taken the piss.

Unfortunately you'll need to get on it or they'll have no reason to stop taking the piss. And if you just leave it you'll have a long time to regret it.

Just spoke to the builder and they are now taking two lots of breeze blocks down. He seems to have measured from the wrong place.

I've let the builder know that it is logged with the council and there will be a site visit in due course to check that it is built as per the planning permission.

My complaint needs to be logged but I explained the situation on the phone and that it is a lot easier to sort out now (before the roof goes on) so someone will be phoning me back.

Oh and the scaffolding is coming down this afternoon or tomorrow.

I feel a bit mean but being accepting wasn't really working.

You aren't being mean at all. You are getting them to comply with your basic, legal agreement.

"He seems to have measured from the wrong place"

I smell bullshit. Watch them like a hawk.

Hmm. The builders are still up on the scaffolding practically running down it. So they have taken my 'take the scaffolding down as I'm not insured' and interpreted it as 'we will take it down this afternoon or tomorrow but until then we will run around doing all sorts'.

They aren't taking it down because you are still being to nice. I'd go out there and give them 2 hours to remove it, start taking pictures and phone the builders head office.

I've had another word with them. Aaargh.

Could do without this hassle.

They have gone. All quiet on the western front. For now at least.

Lots of good advice here. The only thing I would add is to take lots of photos of the scaffolding in situ. Then, if anyone starts moaning when it has gone, you have some evidence.

No I was wrong. Still up there but just at the front of the house over neighbours land which I suppose is better. Just taken some photos.

You need to start getting nasty, OP, or nobody is going to take you seriously.

The scaffolders/builders are making money out of this job so they will carry on regardless until something official stops them.
Your neighbours have got money invested in this so they will ignore you too until they are forced to take notice by someone official.

That scaffolding should be taken down TODAY!
Otherwise they will carry on doing works on your neighbours property and take it to the level where the scaffolding has to stay up to stop the house from falling down......and that will be their excuse to carry on working.

Why haven't you called the scaffolders/builders office and spoken to their manager?
They've trespassed on your property and are basically refusing to take the fucking thing down

Have you thought about how your privacy will be affected by their extension?
Personally, i would not want my neighbours being able to see right into my garden/rooms from their extension,especially when they're already higher up - unless you've got signed off proof that you will have a blank wall facing you?

It is a blank wall facing us. I'm fine with the extension as shown on the plans with planning permission. I didn't object and as long as it is built as shown it won't be too intrusive.

What I object to is the scaffolding being plonked in my garden, the lack of manners, the run around that everyone is giving me and the fact that the extension was built way too high!

I've just got the telephone number for the scaffolding company and have contacted them directly. Apparently I should be dealing with my neighbour!

I soon put him right and said his firms scaffolding was illegally on my land and to come and get it pronto. He is sending a team out.

I feel like I'm getting the run around.

You are being given the run around. No one is taking responsibility. Keep persisting with the council and inform your insurance company.

Contact the planning enforcement team in your council and they should take action.

I wouldn't be happy with the scaffolding. If the extension is too high surely it won't get signed off at the end which will cause them issues. I wouldn't keep going round there, you will start having neighbour wars!

Neighbour wars won't benefit anyone but I'm trying to avoid it being built wrong. It seemed better to tackle it now rather than let it get built.

I'll stay away and hope that the council steps in. They have reduced the height by two breeze blocks now.

What is it about scaffolders and builders? They seem to have form for taking the P. I arrived home one day to find scaffolding from next door erected in such a way that, although none of it was actually standing on my garden, the platforms extended over my fence and into my garden, meaning that as they walked on it they were over my land. I rang the site manager who claimed "he hadn't realised" even though he had inspected it the day they put it up!. I had no problem with it being slightly over my land for a short while, just that they hadn't put up any protective netting, so if they dropped anything it could have hit anyone in my garden.

The scaffolders re-appeared to raise the height of the scaffolding and when I asked him where the netting was, he replied "I don't know anything about that luv". I politely suggested that he got on the phone to his boss pronto and got down off the scaffolding until he was in a position to make it safe for anyone on my land! Not surprisingly it was sorted by the end of the day. Not surprisingly the 2 weeks the scaffolding was meant to be up turned into 2 months!

Update -
Scaffolding has been taken away and put on neighbours land (where there was always room for it anyway).

The height of extension has been reduced back to planning permission height.

The moral of the story is that being nice doesn't always get you where you want to be and sometimes you just have to stand up for yourself. I hated doing it though.

Thanks for all your moral support.

Well done for nipping this in the bud. It would only have got harder and uglier.

Well done for being so proactive and assertive. You were more than reasonable from the start and they took the piss.

OP Glad this was sorted and CF neighbour put in their place.

A final postscript on this. I think you will find that the bit you quoted on the planning permission about obtaining another landowners permission to enter their land was an informative not a planning condition.
An informative at the end of a permission amongst other things sets out other obligations any applicant must do in order to build. E.g. Get a permit, comply with building regs , comply with party wall legislation and enter other land.
Entering someone else's land and putting the scaffolding up on it is not a planning matter. The enforcement officer would be interested in whether the plans agreed were being complied not with where the scaffolding was although might get invovled informally.