Neighbouring treehouse

[Spooked7]

I will append a diagram if it helps, but AIBU to ask neighbouring family to take down large wooden treehouse that sits above the level of our fence and dominates the view?
I don’t know the neighbours and don’t want to start a dispute with them, especially as we only recently moved in. However, we had no idea there was a treehouse overlooking our garden. It was disguised by overgrowing trees as the previous owner of our house had passed away over a year before we viewed the house...and the trees hadn’t been cut back for a while. After a few days living here we started to see heads of small boys popping through the trees about 4 feet above our fence. I still didn’t realise it was a treehouse. Then a month later they employed a tree surgeon to cut back the trees as they were overhanging our (small) garden and blocking light from getting in. This exposed the entire, very large, wooden treehouse. It is a platform about 5.5ft off the ground, with a see-through fence panel about another 3 ft in height around its edge. The whole structure sits above the level of our fence. It has some bits of camouflage netting and a sheet of canvas loosely attached, that flap and wave in the wind. It is both intrusive and unsightly and I have no idea what to do about it without angering the neighbours. I have had advice from the council who said they will happily go round and investigate anonymously whether they should have sought planning permission for it, but it would be completely obvious that we instigated it, as it doesn’t really affect anyone else. I know that if/when we decide to sell our house this treehouse will put a lot of people off. It dominates our very small garden.

Has anyone managed to resolve a similar issue without it leading to a dispute?

I am also asking, as others have - did you ask the neighbours to get a tree surgeon to cut the trees back? I can’t work out from your posts whether you asked them or whether they did it off their own bat.

Probably the trees will green up (surprisingly quickly) and re-cover it - unless they're totally removed?

I would go round, chap on the door bearing a gift and try and discuss it pleasantly.

It's not really their fault that you don't like how it looks, I suspect it's not going to need planning (permitted development might cover it, check your LA rules). So if it doesn't need PP, there's nothing you can do unless you are doing it with their co-operation.

Maybe they would be amenable to putting up a screen of some kind over the side facing you. But you'd need to be asking them a favour, so I would try to be as conciliatory as possible.

Sorry, cross posted

Try one of these sail screens, they’re relatively cheap

Report it, and if the council says it’s OK then look at putting up a trellis or similar.

Golly your getting some unhelpful posts here OP - some people just can't help but take the opportunity to be "superior" in their house assessment skills .

Anyway.....

In your situation, what I'd do (after I'd checked the regulations with the council and confirmed it didn't have planning permission) is write them a letter. State you were unaware of the treehouse until the trees were cut back.

Put a picture in to show just how intrusive it is - tbh they might now be aware just how much it overlooks your garden/house. Cite the ways it breeches local planning - height, size, distance from boundary etc

Be blunt about what you want - if you want it taken down say that. There's no point asking for compromises that won't work for you and you do need to bear in mind the impact if you were to sell.

Then you've given them (nicely) the chance to rectify the issue.

If they refuse then refer the issue to the council.

It's not nice getting into a dispute with neighbours but I don't really see you have a choice here.

Its massively intrusive, will impact resale and you can't hide it realistically (trees would take a long time to grow, a large fence would be ugly and expensive and both would block light to your garden).

Perhaps you could ask them to put a board on that side of the treehouse so that the kids can't overlook your garden. And meanwhile grow some wisteria up it or something else.

if you do go down the council route the neighbours will know it was you and that will be the relationship ruined

The relationship is already ruined by the fact that the treehouse overlooks OP's yard.

YANBU ... Speaking as a fellow tree house sufferer!!!

Our neighbours built one a foot from the fence between our houses and it’s like having a watch tower looking at you and totally ruined any enjoyment we may have had from our garden. Utterly intrusive ...

There are clear planning rules around these things so you should be able to look at your LA web site and see if they applied for permission before building it.

Regardless of whether it was there before you moved in, the neighbours have cut back the trees making it more intrusive. Either ask the LA planning officer to pop round to look at it, or simply ask the neighbours if they have pp for the thing. If not, then they need to apply retrospectively, which should, at least, get them to alter the design to ensure their kids aren’t staring at you.

Best of luck.

They are really inconsiderate, or cheeky, for building it in the first place.
Who cares when you saw it it, you've seen it now. It is totally out of order to have your peace disturbed like that. Go with the council. You never even need speak to them so there'll be no dispute.

Any decking or platform more than 30cm above ground level requires planning permission. A treehouse as described would definitely need PP.

Report it to the Planning Enforcement team.

Ok here’s an actual photo of it. If you are actually the neighbour who owns it then please believe me I am not trying to create bad feeling over this! I just don’t think you have any idea how intrusive it is from our side.

Suggest they put up some screening between the tree house and your back garden as a short term measure until the trees grow back. It's worth pointing out that treehouse use is a bit of a phase, so there'll be a point when the children stop using it, and the parents quite often at that point take it down so they can use that area of the garden for something else. So, as long as you're planning to stay for a few years it shouldn't be an issue when you sell.

It’s half the entire width of our garden, but centred.

THat definitely requires PP.

Did u ask the neighbours to cut their trees back or was it their idea?

If u asked and now you aren't happy with the view that is going to make u look awkward.

Is the fence yours? I would be thinking of putting some trellis up

That's hideous.....

@PrayingandHoping We informed them that a large branch had come down (partially) and was hanging over our garden.

That's incredibly intrusive and looks tall enough to have needed planning permission to me.

I think DeRigueurMortis gave excellent advice and have nothing to add to that except to say that I really loved your original drawing!

Good luck -- really hope they resolve this for you.

If I can find a “before” photo you will see it was just a bank of thick branches and loads of leaves. The treehouse was not visible at all.

yanbu
a treehouse of that description usually requires planning permission.
if it had pp it should have been picked up during the buying process really.

Definitely hideous and I'm somewhat amused by the fact that it's half hidden from their side by their giant hedge (which probably explains the height...they could put it lower if the hedge wasn't there).

The parents are probably quite unaware how it looks from your side - they're unlikely to have been in the treehouse themselves.
Perhaps invite them round for a coffee, and take the opportunity to let them see, and start a conversation about how it can be made less intrusive. A good creeper on the structure (and high enough to mask the kids)? Perhaps it could just be reduced in height somehow? If it does actually require planning permission, mentioning that might encourage them to work with you on a solution.

Perhaps if nothing else, you could get them to agree to take it down once the kids have grown out of it - hopefully that will come before you want to sell, and you don't want them selling their house with it still there!

have you checked satelite images? streetview? sometimes you can see older images as well

yeah that is massively intrusive!