Neighbour’s extension - stressed!

[HildegardeCrowe]

I live in a mid terrace and the neighbour’s are building a side return extension. All amicable so far even though I now have a high brick wall outside my kitchen window. The roof has just had a velux put in which is protruding considerably above the roofline (pics attached) and unsightly. The approved plans (attached) show the velux as being flush with the roof.
AIBU to mention this to see if anything can be done? Really don’t want to get the planning department involved as the delay to their work will be considerable.

Sorry I'm I'm being abit thick but surely it's their wall so are you allowed to put a trellis on it ? Or do anything to it for that matter ?

You definitely deserve a crate of wine!!!

Obviously different if they say they don't mind!

You can get recessed velux-type windows. I live in a conservation area, with many listed buildings: any neighbours who have succeeded in getting work approved have had to install that type.

I can't actually read what the drawings say about the roof light though - too small and blurred

Is the window above the roof and to the right a new one or has it just got a new frame? Side facing wndows used not to be allowed, but that may be old planning rules.

I would absolutely hate that velux being there. It looks absolutely vile and out of place. However I don’t see guttering at all on the plans or in real and the first thing I thought of was that any water or whatever will go straight onto your side. I would get that checked to be honest.

Gosh that’s all horrible. You have my sympathies

How close is the extension to your foundations? Do you have a party wall agreement?

So the wall we can see isn't part of the extension, right? I assume there's a gap the other side then the extension, as I can see guttering but not on the wall in view.

I would constantly be distracted by the top of the wall too, it’s got a bump in the middle hasn’t it ?

I feel your pain
My neighbour has just erected a huge double height 'garage' in the garden of his tiny terraced house.
It looks horrible and I hate looking at it. The only thing we succeeded in getting changed with a planning objection was at least it doesn't have windows looking into my property now
(You might indeed wonder why a 'garage' needs skylights...)

I do agree the velux not being flush is just a very small insult to the existing injury and probably not worth making a fuss about.

My neighbour seems happy for us to put trellis up his garage wall. He actually said he'd buy it. I think he knows he is pushing the boundaries of reasonable neighbourly behaviour.

I was also going to say if it's their wall I don't think you can put anything on it without permission.

My neighbours have the wall of my brick outhouse in their garden. Technically they also have a strip of my garden. I've said it's fine for them to have use of it for now, but please not to fix anything to the outhouse which they said of course not, as it's our's and they wouldn't want to damage it.

I'm sorry your window now looks at a big brick wall. It must be horrible when you were used to it as it was. The people who lived here before we did got really cross when a house was built at the back and said it was never the same here after. We viewed and bought it after the house was built, so we have known no different, but I can see why they were so bothered by it.

Looks exactly the same as my parents view from their kitchen window after the house next door was sold to developers who then converted the house into flats, as a result my parents house is now really overlooked and they have a brick wall as a view. They had to query some issues with planning when parts of the extension was being built and overhang their garden.

I'm struggling to see how it's unsightly and what difference it actually makes to you. Renovations are extremely stressful and expensive. I think you're being petty

All the houses here have flush velux windows.

Two words, @HildegardeCrowe:
Clematis amandii

We have a similar, even larger extension next to our kitchen. I was miserable about it. This large leaved, fast growing evergreen climber transformed an ugly wall into a much green one in 2 years. Stunning scented flowers in early spring, too.

The Velux certainly should be flush. Ours is with our tiled roof. That looks badly done.

I would rather a velux than a window in the wall which from the plans it looks as though you might have had before.

Looks maybe a bit close- the window is perhaps not that important.

Neighbours building things can be a pain.

But what view did you have before?

BTW If you get on reasonably with them, and as long as they don't do more of this type of work, you are probably right to leave it.

Oh for a detached house with no neighbours.....

YANBU it’s awful!

I can’t work out how you’re a mid terrace from the photos. How are the houses joined?
Velux windows certainly can be flush with the roof, and if that was part of the plans then you’ve every right to query why the plans weren’t followed. However I agree with others that this seems minor compared to that wall! Is the wall part of the new extension? What construction is it? If it required conventional foundations it’s surprising they were allowed to build so close to another property

Ours are a bit like this:

Could you see right into their garden before that was built?

For permission re trellis - take that picture of what the wall looks like from your kitchen window and ask them. If they say no they are total jerks.

In which case go for a free standing trellis :)