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.

She's not being nice is she?
So don't you feel obliged to be nice.
Remember at some point you'll want to sell your house & yhatll be far more difficult with an extension next door that is not in line with the planning permission granted.

Call the planning dept & get them down ASAP. Point out every thing that is not in line with the planning permission.

The time for being nice is long gone.

Please do call the planning department, CFs should not be allowed to flout the rules.

Report it, and build a huge fence over it with a trellis and a horrible smelling climber that wasps and spiders love

Deffo report, a builder not sticking to plans is going against all sorts and the whole thing could be dodgy

Sounds like the perfect opportunity to put up a 6 foot fence panel up against the window on your side of the boundary just covering the window if they continue! Or a large piece of sculpture!

Definitely report it. Being overlooked is a material planning consideration.

If the planning department don’t do anything I’d be in favour of a high fence panel or a big prickly bush

If it's a single story extension they should have put some vulux or light tunnels in the roof, not a window right into your garden.

If neighbour agrees to get it bricked up before planning officer then id allow that since they tend to be a bit toothless against these kind of modifications to plans when push comes to shove.

Planning regulations are there to protect you. She’s already ignored the limits of the permissions she’s been given, now she’s fucking freestyling as she goes along! That’s not how it works. Her desire for light absolutely does not override your right to privacy.

You just need to be calm but firm - let her know you’re aware she’s already breached planning but have so far turned a neighbourly blind eye; however, now she’s directly affecting your enjoyment of your garden, your property value and your peace of mind, so the window needs to be out and bricked up within 48 hours or you’ll sadly have no choice but to raise an objection and involve the council.

Absolutely no to frosted glass.

I live in an area with a lot of older semis and extensions have been built over the last forty years or so.

When I was moving house I didn’t even view two because they had next door’s garage or extension windows looking into the garden. I hate that. So off putting.

You just need to be calm but firm - let her know you’re aware she’s already breached planning but have so far turned a neighbourly blind eye; however, now she’s directly affecting your enjoyment of your garden, your property value and your peace of mind, so the window needs to be out and bricked up within 48 hours or you’ll sadly have no choice but to raise an objection and involve the council.

This is what I'd do too

How high is it

Actually the interesting parts to me are that you mention they have built to the end of the garden which I didn't think was permissable under planning rules. Also if they have built up to your boundary did the solicit written consent from you.
But more interesting is you seem to imply they have built the extension bigger than their plans allow. If this is the case they are likely to be forced to pull the extension down and rebuild as this is one of the biggest breaches (just look at Captain Tom's money grabbing daughter) definitely report all of this to the local planning office/inspectors as they will either have to remediate the build or face a costly battle for retrospective permission which they are very unlikely to win.

you can put up a brick feature there yourselves, some brick shed or something

Preferably one of those Grecian statues of a nude woman draped in not very much, with the arse right in front of the window.

YADNBU

Looks like your neighbour miss-lead you by being economical with the truth. The difference between a small hole and a window is tremendously significant.

The cheek of some people, you give an inch, they take a mile.

She should pay for the costs of the repair of the 'hole' and not you.

Contact the Planning Department and also your local councillor who may be able to get a quicker response - and in this case time is of the essence. Report all the issues. You neighbours are being CFs.

IME this entirely depends on where you live. I know in some areas they’ll let stuff slide once it’s actually built, but there are definitely places where they’re unbelievably tenacious and litigious. They’re absolute bulldogs where we live, and someone I know in a completely different area was served an enforcement notice because their builder had placed the back wall of their extension one brick length beyond the permitted line and the neighbour had measured it and complained, so the council insisted they take the whole thing down and rebuild it one brick length back. They ended up moving.

Get on to planning enforcement. Also get some garden ornaments/ bin store/ something in front of the window so it is totally blocked out until this is resolved.

Email your local councillors to get their help sorting an enforcement notice on this!

Definitely just give her the ultimatum.

I agree. Maybe some pigs and chickens as well, and a man chicken (can't remember how to spell cockeral?)

A big noisy man chicken that likes shouting his head off at 6am.

CF neighbour...CF builder...
Don't entertain this by trying to be nice....they will carry on taking advantage of you.

Report it asap and in the meantime start put whatever crap you can there....to make a point!

I’d be surprised if this was permitted development - go to the council and report this to building control as soon as possible.

This is spot on. What CF!

Absolutely report this! They’d have needed planning permission to put the window in. We had to get that for ours - and that was only facing out onto a road!