To think my neighbour can drill a whole in my house to permanently hang a 15ft tarpaulin?

[Euro21widow]

So, name changed as obviously outting as pretty sure this isn't a normal occurance!

My neighbour has drilled a hole in my (grade 2 listed) building so she can permanently hang a piece of tarpaulin about 15ft up (as high as my 1st floor roof) for "privacy". Surely she can't just do this? Where do I go from here? It blocks all the light out to my ground floor windows now. Have included (bad) diagram.

Birds Eye View known as a "Plan" view is fine but your "elevation" view from garden is a bit wierd. (I taught technical drawing) ;-) I can help you with that for when you need to communicate as you must with CAB. Even if you dont "win" you will establish "pushback" and the suggestion that future occurrences be discussed FIRST? TOP TIP: any disputes with neighbours have to be notified to your legal reps for 6 years prior to selling. Establish the legal position FIRST and then play a very good hand of cards. I am maestro of legal positioning with neighbours..and even winning against the neaderthal sexual offender next door!

@Euro21widow had it been raining where you are? How soggy is the mainsail awning?

If you've got rain like we have today (I swear I just saw an ark full of paired animals floating by) unless the tarp is completely vertical, it will be puddling with HEAVY water....
If it is full of water, can you poke it from underneath with a broomstick, and send the water all over her garden?

WTF maybe offer her some polish for that solid brass neck of hers?

DON’T do anything that might damage said CF’s property - ie tarpaulin or ropes etc, at the very least said CFer could legitimately claim for damage to her property - and, as everyone on MN know Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right.
SFSG so get all the usual suspects on side -
My opening remarks have always been the same: “I wonder if you can help me?”
Try to avoid being confrontational - but once you’ve got their interest AND their sympathy just make sure in the gentlest way possible that you know the law and your rights - and if find you are getting nowhere you are prepared to make a huge fuss and you’re not backing down/going away.
It’s always worked for me.

It never ceases to amaze me the cheek of some people.

@Pommie69 what a helpful post .MN can a bit frustrating at times but this is a fantastic example of what can happen !

Pommie gives great advice about the structure, but I’m not sure why she’s mentioning CAB. (Unless that doesn’t stand for citizens advice).

The planning breach department will identify whether it’s a breach of planning/conservation rules.

If OP needs to get a solicitor involved I wouldn’t go to CAB, I would get a specialist in this area.

NDN will have to make good in reference to council conservation and safety requirements.

Great diagram makes perfect sense.

Beyond piss take, I'd be tempted to put a knife through it.

The tarp not your neighbour 😂

Solidarity op!

Sorry about my diagrams, art/technical drawings isn't my strong point! So, it probably isn't clear that the tarpaulin is totally vertical so it isn't collecting any rain at all. Thanks for all the advice and offers for help. Am hoping the council will get in touch in the next few days and will go from there. I have sent them actual photos which makes the situation much clearer than my dodgy diagrams .

@Pommie69 she did say she was going to erect an awning, but she didn't mention it would be attached to my wall or be so high etc, so I didn't think anything of it until I saw it.

Never mind it being a listed building, its your building and she has no right to attach anything to it without your consent.

@auntnellie

Never mind it being a listed building, its your building and she has no right to attach anything to it without your consent.

Agreed.

I'd be detaching it / ripping it off.

No questions!

The woman is an idiot! I don’t see how she’s not getting privacy? Fancy damaging your house to add some crappy tarpaulin to it. I bet it looks so shit too.

no criticism just offer of specialist HELP. You have exactly nothing to be sorry for!

OP if you don't hear anything from the Council within a few days, do contact your local Councillor. Their details should be on the Council's website. They will be able to go direct to the enforcement team/head of planning/conservation officer on your behalf.

Surely an awning is a structure that projects horizontally from a building? Is there even a name for what she’s done?

I think OP should ring planning enforcement on Monday following up on her email. Ime they’re quite good at getting someone out quickly particularly if there’s a potential hazard involved.

What a CF! At the very least she could have put up a post instead of attaching it to your wall!

I hope she’s attached the sail awning very securely or else used bungees so it can move with wind because if it becomes unattached in high winds it’ll whip around causing all sorts of damage. (This happened to some acquaintances of ours.)

CAB = Citizen's Advice Bureau: my Dad worked for them.
UNDERSTAND the legal position. Don't be tempted to make over-inflated claims. Make statements of FACTS ask questions including of Planning but be CLEAR if you communicate to Planning that it is something you want to disclose to a house purchaser IF you do or need to sell within SIX YEARS. It can cost YOU far more than your neighbour. A formal letter even suggesting bad neighbout takes £5,000-10,000 OFF the sale price of your house at a stroke. Cost Engineer!

If it's attached to you wall at one point, what's it attached to at the other two?

@Pommie69 thank you I really appreciate it.

@clymene I can't see well enough to know for sure but I think potentially she has also attached one of the bottom bits to her side of my garden wall and maybe also another hole further down my kitchen wall. I can't see this from any angle. I can see the top part as can see it from the street next to the house at the end of the terrace. I hope that makes sense.

[quote Euro21widow]@Pommie69 thank you I really appreciate it.

@clymene I can't see well enough to know for sure but I think potentially she has also attached one of the bottom bits to her side of my garden wall and maybe also another hole further down my kitchen wall. I can't see this from any angle. I can see the top part as can see it from the street next to the house at the end of the terrace. I hope that makes sense.[/quote]
So it's more using the awning as a 'curtain'? Just to block your 'view'

What an arsehole.