To have given my neighbour short shrift on the phone after I allowed access under false pretences

[TooManywines]

Neighbour is almost at the end of a first storey extension.
i never opposed any of the plans and as she was extending to the end of her garden I figured that it would give my small garden a litttle bit more privacy. I can see having reviewed the plans her builder has built out 1400 more than was on the plans.

she messaged me to ask if her builder could come into my garden as he needed to make a small hole - there are three brick vents n the new bit so I summised he must’ve been adding to it.

my DD text me at mid day to let me know we had a window facing directly into my garden - I check on my CCTV and she was right.

i phoned the neighbour aghast and asked her what the hell she was playing at and that the window was definitely not on the PP application-her response
‘we needed more light’ 😩

I told her under no uncertain terms that her builder was to vacate my property and to stop work

AIBU to ask them to brick up the window and return it back to how it was - I’m tempted to call the planning enforcement officer so they can see all the other gaffs they’ve made but panicking that she might get asked to tear it all down - which although I’m really cross about I’d not want that to happen.

That woman sounds awful. "Have a nice day" indeed!!!!
I would be spitting feathers at this!
Hope the planning office moves swiftly and justice is served!

Love the sprinkler! Take a photo every day it’s open to show its trespassing into your land and they are using it.

I have them time and date stamped from today showing the window wide open

Well done OP. You can see that the CF neighbour has no interest in actually understanding your concerns so you've done the right thing!

Like your style OP.

If planning fail you, get yourself a nice big brick garden wall right Infront of their new window

Jesus she really doesn't give a shit does she?! Absolute cheeky fucker!

Well done on doing step 1 of my earlier post. I suspect planning will only require it to be obscure glazed and only openable over 170cm as per permitted development guidance for first floor windows.

Now you need to contact building control about size of unprotected opening and fire regulations. However if the neighbours are using private building control then this won't go far.

So check whether you have legal cover on your home insurance, if not get a solicitor to write about the trespass.
Get the solicitor to get an injunction preventing further work along the party wall due to the lack of party wall agreement. However if they have finished the wall already then this is not going to happen.

Do check if your house has permitted development rights, and if it does how long is your back garden, and how far down it from your house is this window? The option of building your own wall to block it might be the only resolution apart from trees.

I’d be inclined to speak to building control about it too, especially if you think the work is poor quality.

Our neighbours did this.
Submitted planning and then ‘revised’ it to a window facing us on what was previously a blank wall.
Could look straight in our bathroom and landing. Plans said it was a bedroom,
Planning refused then resubmitted with it as a ‘store room’ with frosted glass on the bottom.
Plans accepted.
Window is in with frosted glass but it’s easy enough to change glass in time isn’t it.
We’ll be watching.

If the window remains and is ever open its a pity (and such a coincidence) that when you're hosing your garden you often lose control and loads of water goes straight in.

So sorry

God I would be apoplectic. Cheeky fuckers

You say they made the window opening after the wall was completed? I thought windows needed a lintel. Did they put one in after they'd made the hole? Or aren't they always needed? Or are they needed but your neighbour hasn't bothered?

It goes without saying, I'm not a builder.

The basketball hoop is a good idea if it's too high for a wall or fence to block it, or you could put a flagpole right in front and on the boundary so that their view is obscured and they can't open the window.

This would infuriate me! I hope you’ve also complained about the extra size on the boundary wall

We've extended and you can put in a window overlooking someone's property but it's best practice to frost it. It depends what room the window is in. She'll probably just get retrospective planning permission for it. It's not unusual for plans to change and to get a verbal ok pending the submission of new plans on completion.

Glad you reported it to the planning department- enforcement teams absolutely are interested in this sort of breach.

And they do tear things down if they are in breach of planning control. The council can send an enforcement officer round who can issue a stop notice. And then an enforcement notice. They can appeal it, but if they lose, direct action can be taken.

Obviously, a lot of can, if and maybe but you don't have to be stuck with an unauthorised window on your boundary.

Window in all its glory

Wow! I can't believe she this would be ok!

@TooManywines- I hope you've reported all the breeches, not juts the window. I'd be bloody annoyed too

Yep. All of them.

So glad you reported it to the council even if they aren’t made to take the whole thing down I hope they are made to get rid of the window and move it back by 1400mm too. What a hard faced cow your neighbour is have a nice day she deserves more than just a sprinkler in the window.

Take up rounders or cricket 💥 🏏 in the back garden.

The pointing isn’t finished on that. I doubt they’d be able to finish it nicely without coming onto your side. It doesn’t look good, that’s for sure. I wonder if the brick wall is flush with the boundary. If so, the eaves and window sill are overhanging your property.

The brickwork above the top of the window and top left is rough! It doesn’t look like it has been cemented / pointed properly.