To Hate How Homes Being Built on a School Playing Field Affect Me

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140-odd 'homes' are being built on the former school playing field which runs alongside our property. The development started early 2020. The latest news letter delivered today, showing where the homes will be, indicates some of the properties will definitely affect our access to light. They're shown as being right up against our boundary, and we have a single level property with only one room situated in the roof. There's about eight feet between our home on that side and the boundary, and the new homes are shown to be just on the other side of that. These new builds will then mean that we will have no light in our living/dining room, at least two bedrooms, and a bathroom, if they're that close.

So my AIBU is, do I just have to put up with being plunged into constant darkness, because the developers say they're 'including affordable homes'? [Even though they're not.]

Have the plans had full approval? If it’s just a news letter they might just be chancing their arm to see if they can get away with building so close so may be worth contacting the planning department, also I thought living areas had a right to light? Unlike bedrooms, bathrooms etc. Look into it OP.

Contact planning permission to see if you can appeal.

If it has already started has planning not already been approved op? Did you object at the time?

Unfortunately they've had planning permission for a long time; but just started going ahead this year. Zara, your thing about living rooms having a right to light is interesting. The thing with our house is, part of it is around 200 years old and other parts are modern extensions; but it's not a listed building. We think it used to be a coach-house. We live in a very built-up area, but I used to sit in my garden and feel such peace. We have fox and squirrel families, and our nesting birds. Now every part of land is being built on.

Here you go, this may help.

They may have had planning permission to build something but still be working out the detail (like layout, which buildings go where, etc) in which case you may still be able to influence.

Look on your council's website, find where you can 'view and comment on planning applications' and search your postcode. If you can find it your council might have a number you can contact to ask advice.

Sorry posted too soon.

Planning department will have to consider the impact on your amenity (including light, etc). If you're on an "urban" area you probably can't expect to maintain a big field beyond your back garden and you don't have a right to a view, but they should orientate buildings to minimise their impact on your

I had a problem with "right to light" with my neighbour's extension. The Planning Officer came out and said that if I only had the one window in the sitting room, the "right to light" would have applied. Because I had two windows in the sitting room, the "right to light" did not apply as one would get more light than the other.

How many windows do you have in the rooms you believe will be affected by light?

nicebreeze >i f you're on an "urban" area you probably can't expect to maintain a big field beyond your back garden and you don't have a right to a view', RedDiamond 'How many windows do you have in the rooms you believe will be affected by light?'

I agree with you, nicebreeze, that being in an urban area we can't expect to have 'a view' or keep the school playing field. We live in an area that used to be purely farmland and open countryside, and is now completely urban.

In response to RedDiamond, your comment "Because I had two windows in the sitting room, the "right to light" did not apply as one would get more light than the other." This throws up a conundrum for us. The light we would lose would be from one end (used) as a dining room), whilst we would still get light from the living room end.

To put it into context, we would lose light from one half of our dining/living room, leavng only one part receiving light, and also at least two bedrooms and one bathroom having no light. We have a one level property, with only one room above.