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 wonder if it will escape PP as it's more of a platform than a tree house?

It would be ideal if they strapped some kind of opaque screening to the fence type rails that are adjacent to your garden. I guess you could offer to pay for some and see what happens.

This sort of stuff: www.primrose.co.uk/-p-133158.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA17P9BRB2EiwAMvwNyBf5ErL7yW8crb6Wh8eAJ_Ye_tdXt3d7w6ZxiB2LP0Ayd5xgeJdcwBoCzEgQAvD_BwE

[quote Spooked7]@5zeds any suggestions of something that will grow taller than 10ft? The bottom part of the garden is a small decked area so that would have to be removed if I were to plant anything...unless 10ft plants can grow in containers...[/quote]
www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Extra-Tall-Root-Ball-Plants.html

That looks awful, get council round. They will have to take it down.

Most people know that this would piss off the neighbours and they clearly don't give a shit. Report it.

@WoolyMammoth55 we didn’t complain about the tree. We informed them that one of their large branches had come down and was hanging 5ft into our garden. I have two small children. It’s a huge eucalyptus tree and was very overgrown.

we are looking at building a treehouse. We defo need planning permission (in a city). I would also want to check neighbours would not be overlooked or would obscure their view or generally impact them at all.

[quote fabulousathome]I wonder if it will escape PP as it's more of a platform than a tree house?

It would be ideal if they strapped some kind of opaque screening to the fence type rails that are adjacent to your garden. I guess you could offer to pay for some and see what happens.

This sort of stuff: www.primrose.co.uk/-p-133158.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA17P9BRB2EiwAMvwNyBf5ErL7yW8crb6Wh8eAJ_Ye_tdXt3d7w6ZxiB2LP0Ayd5xgeJdcwBoCzEgQAvD_BwE[/quote]
Where I live a raised platform or deck needs planning permission over 30cm😂.

I used to think this was ridiculous, but after my neighbour built a high deck along my fence I understand the huge privacy issues. I feel like I am on display, especially when he has friends round😬

Looks new - the paper on the wood is still there. Good luck trying to get the council planning enforcement team out to assess it though.

I've realised my kids treehouse probably should have had planning permission due to being "a raised deck being more than 30cm from the floor" (at the highest point of adjoining land).

It's a beautiful treehouse, but jeez, I would hate that at the bottom of my garden. I think it would be reasonable to have a world with the neighbors and see if they can screen off that side of it.

Wasp's nest on a stick. Lean it against the fence.

I'm not sure where you can get a wasp's nest, but if Amazon can't supply it I recall that Harrod's used to claim to be able to get anything.

a-broad-in-london.com/blog/2019/4/17/harrods-the-secrets-inside-the-most-beautiful-amp-famous-store-in-the-world#:~:text=The%20store's%20motto%20%E2%80%9CAll%20Things,and%20they%20do%20mean%20anything.&text=Harrods%20also%20offers%20a%20specialized

Clematis will grow fast in containers and will look pretty. They will twine round the branches which still seem to be in your side.
Otherwise ‘Unleash the plant of war!’ Which is what we say when putting in a Russian Vine to screen an eyesore.
They are not called ‘Mile a Minute’ for nothing. Google says they will be OK in big pots. Lots of people use them as quick cover.

That's literally a viewing platform into your garden! I couldn't live with that. I also couldn't ask them to tear it down (looks like lots of fun, I'd have loved this as a child!) so I'd go round with a photo and see if you can come to an arrangement with screening, plants etc. There has to be some solution you can both live with.

@Seeline

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.

True , but I would not have much hope of council enforcement atm. They may get a letter but equally they may have had pp at the time. Agree showing picture and offering suggestions may achieve more short term and keep good will.

Here’s the before. You can barely see our fence. There is a shed behind the yellow shrubs. The eucalyptus branches hanging over it had fallen to that position from much higher and were in danger of falling into our garden. This is all we asked them to remove. We could barely see our own fence never mind a treehouse.

@tasmaniandevilchaser yes it reminds me of the viewing platforms at the zoo.

I would get the council in to give their opinion on it, it is absolutely hideous. I am sure no one wants that peering over the fence at the bottom of their garden. When it was screened, totally different, but they should have instructed the tree surgeon to leave the screening in place.

Worse still is the fact your garden slopes down making it more exposed from your house eye line.

I live in a awkward shaped plot and am surrounded by eight gardens.

Used to be elderly people but over the last then years most have been sold to young families. I dread the noise of an electric drill or hammer.I am surrounded by trampolines which bump up against my fence, high intrusive decking and monstrous diy sheds.

They are all pushed right against my fence - as far away from their houses as possible.

People can be incredibly insensitive to their neighbours.

Eucalyptus is really fast growing, it'll be hidden again fairly soon.

Its a beautiful tree house and they're lucky kids - don't your kids want to befriend theirs and play there too? It'd taje a very hard heart indeed to demand a children's tree house like that, which was there before you were whether xou knew it or not, be torn down! Those children would be heartbroken!

Ah, you pretty much asked them to cut out the branches providing privacy it seems...

I would go and speak to them

Oh dear that is an eyesore! I would definitely go down the council route here, the owners won't just remove the tree house because you've asked nicely and it might cause conflict. Can totally see why you never noticed it before, what a shame they cut all the trees down!

That's awful. Who the hell thinks that's acceptable, what the hell are the parents' thinking! That's not even like it backs onto your garden - it's facing it!

I agree see if they need planning permission, it has to come down. Can they not put it along the other wall where it would be more covered or saw a few feet off the legs?!

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

Eucalyptus is really fast growing, it'll be hidden again fairly soon.

Its a beautiful tree house and they're lucky kids - don't your kids want to befriend theirs and play there too? It'd taje a very hard heart indeed to demand a children's tree house like that, which was there before you were whether xou knew it or not, be torn down! Those children would be heartbroken!

Why is that the OP's problem?

The problem is the inconsiderate parents!

And I'm not surprised she hadn't seen it before. All that greenery probably made it difficult to use!

I'd probably go the passive-aggressive route and put 5 tons of fresh horse manure right beside the fence, or a barbecue which I'd then use loads, and wait for them to complain. It's really that or bite the bullet and prepare for years of frosty relations.

You bought the house, you can't come in and demand the neighbours change their lifestyle. Its a shame you dont like the garden of your new house, but that's not your neighbours fault. Let the kids play!

They have paid someone to cut down the overhanging branches with no benefit to themselves, so they sound like considerate neighbours.

Nanny0gg the op has small kids, next door have small kids, next door have a tree house which will be hidden again soon as eucalyptus is really fast growing... Sounds more like an opportunity for her kids to play in a tree house with new friends next summer than a problem...

You should put some sort of screening up, as it's every child's dream to have a tree house, do you wish to spoil their fun.