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.

No way if planning enforcement come round they’ll probably notice the millions of other things she’s done illegally too, she’s on shaky ground.

Tell her that unless it’s bricked up by mid day tomorrow you’ll be on the phone to planning enforcement and seeking an injunction on an urgent basis.

Straight to planning. There's all sorts wrong. They are chancers. That's what planning us for. They need to stop.

This! If you don't fight it now, you'll regret it later.

Tell her to brick it up and out in a skylight if she needs more light

It's that right up to your boundary? If so they legally have to have a party wall agreement with you or a football written agreement from you to build up to the boundary wall, without those it shouldn't have been permitted as a development. When you say they went beyond the planned size was the original plan to have it 1400mm back from the boundary and then they built right up? If that's the case and you don't challenge it in some way it may seriously impact your ability to sell the house in the future. As has been mentioned, planning laws are there for a reason.

they can see into my kitchen and my bedroom and the whole of my garden

Don't hesitate - go straight to Planning tomorrow when they open, lodge an objection. The window is illegal and directly affects you. They will also be interested in the unauthorised extension to the extension.

I did an extension a couple of years ago, my nasty neighbour objected to the brick wall and wanted it rendered. Planning Compliance officers came out and determined the walls were built exactly as approved by the Planning Department and that no adjustments were required. They measured everything while they were there, seems like they wanted to find fault because that's their job but my builder is a stickler for detail and everything was fully compliant.

So your Planning Department should be happy to send out the Compliance Officers to check the new structure. As I said, don't hesitate, call them first thing tomorrow. Get rid of that window! They do not have permission to overlook your bedroom!

This happened to my in laws - and because they weren’t on best terms with the neighbours concerned,y mil bought a very wide planter filled with mature bamboo. Totally blocked everything.

neighbour had the nerve to complain that it was blocking the light 🤣

Yes I was willing to overlook this as by doing this is made my garden more private anyway - see diagram
on the right hand side - they built
their flat roof extension all the way up to the exterior wall which is the boundary for the whole site

however this window that has appeared in a matter of hours looks directly into my garden, my kitchen and faces my bedroom window - my daughter could throw stuff into their open window it’s that close to her bedroom window too

I’m more confused with the picture - are your houses not side by side?

I’m pretty sure this is a breach of Building Regs too. Please ask the neighbour to show they have building control approval (as well as planning approval). Usually a ‘hole’ in a wall, whether it is a window or something else, will need to be fire rated if it is a significant size. A breach of building regs on your boundary can impact your insurance and resale of your property. Hopefully you will get this sorted.

And top marks for the diagram!

Yes absolutely complain about this. Get it bricked up or put a fence up to block it on your boundary. Cheeky fucker!

Definitely ring planning in the morning. What a CF.

Time to stop trusting and being bothered about your relationship with this woman. They wouldn't have got planning permission for this and it devalues your home.

I'd tell her that you don't appreciate her lying in order for her dodgy builder to access your garden. Then report to the planning dept. What a massive pisstaker she is.

Why the fuck should she? I would be prepared to fall out over it. 1400 extra would do it for me

You must call enforcement
There will be other issues.

it should be 100% expected and not a bad thing. The property must be built as on the plans.
you will regret not calling enforcement.

So the extension wall is now the boundary wall? And the extension is now 1.4m (5feet in old money) nearer your garden than it should be?

Did they get a party wall agreement?

The extra window- is that in the extension, or an additional window in the existing building?

Don't mess around with "giving them a chance" to block up the window- straight onto planning enforcement first thing - and follow up with emails with photos showing the extra works.
This will seriously affect the value of your house and, if they have built too close to your foundations, the structure of your house itself!!

You need to call planning now… I’m guessing you’re going to be bearing the brunt of Cowboy drainage too.

What @averylongtimeago said !!

I think the window will be the tip of the iceberg on this build!

You have to get it blocked up op. It is probably best to call the council.

However, you could plant a tall tree 1cm from the window opening., and if not enough leaves, add plastic ones as well. Like those camoflauge blankets. Or, a metal pole in concrete, again 1cm from window opening, placing a board as a backing for a basketball basket. The size fully covering the window area.

You don’t want to let light through to the window, as you never want them to establish any claim to light from your property.

It was very sly and sneaky.

I would explain that that is most definitely not allowed and that it needs to be bricked up immediately. You have every right to put a fence up against it in any event (not that you should have to), but you could point that out. Also point out that unless built accordingly to their plans (which i believe will need signing off by a building inspector who could report them to the planning department), they may also find it hard to sell, particularly if the council are notified.

Do it now OP. Neighbour didn’t care about you so why should you care about her. You look after you and your property.

We made our neighbour take down his 14yr old conservatory 5yrs after we moved in to our house. We wanted to build an extension and the architect said neighbour had built his conservatory partly in to our garden. He’d also moved the fence over to claim some of our garden so it wasn’t obvious.

He said, “Well John (who lived in our house many years before) didn’t mind.”

We told neighbour he’d never be able to sell as he’d have to declare to new buyers the land his conservatory was on wasn’t his. He said he didn’t want to sell. His daughter said, Well dad, you won’t be here forever and I don’t want the house.”

He took down old and rebuilt smaller one and we got a new fence.

Btw, i'm from a planning background, so I can categorically say that it's not allowed. Even if they put privacy film on or obscure glazing. That's definitely not allowed at ground level straight into another garden.

Some people live on corners. I have a new build backing onto my house but sideways. It has no windows at all pointing towards my house.

OP, how many more things is your neighbour "just" going to do after "just" making a hole. I agree that she needs a very tight deadline before you go straight to planning. Unfortunately you will be overlooked by an ugly bricked up wall if she "just" fills it in so I would be inclined to go to planning, regardless.

Great diagram.
Cheeky mare! Good luck calling planning.