Neighbours Garden Office

[Soontobesingles]

My neighbours have recently started having work done to add an office/summer house thing to their garden. No planning permission and it is absolutely massive - to the point it will put 1/2 my lovey sunny garden in shade. I have told them that it is too high and they need planning permission. Builders insisting they don’t as something to do with a slope in the garden but rules are about height from foundations. Anyway, I have said I will report if it isn’t sufficiently reduced and both neighbour and builders are going mad saying £1,000s already spent on materials and plans, labour etc. AIBU to say I don’t care an will report? My garden is my sanctuary and many of my plants will die if shaded year round.

It will take ages for the planners to send someone out to check.
Why not ask your neighbours if you can measure yourselves. If you haven’t all fallen out too much and if they are within permitted development heights they’ll let you measure.

You could have this sorted tomorrow.

An example of how public services are being quietly taken away by government… people don’t realise the problem until they need a service …where are our taxes going ?

So selfish of your neighbours to do this. Ask them to halt further construction to save themselves money because you’re going to report them. Also could devalue your property. I hope the council take action.

We agreed with conditions so they had to make some changes.

It’s going to seriously affect water runoff. Probably causing your garden to flood.

What utterly selfish arseholes to do this to you.

Do you think a solicitor would help? It would be worth the money.

When I looked into this I was told that a building within 2m of the boundary could not exceed in 2.5m in height at highest point. If it is on your boundary it is way beyond the scope of the rules. I’d report immediately.

@CautiousLurker01 you can't possibly know if that's any accurate statement.

There's a slope and the garden drops down a level to the OP's garden.

Until the OP has accurately measured the structure, relative to the highest point that it touches in the neighbour's garden, she doesn't know how tall the structure actually is.

For all we know, the neighbours might have dumped a few tonnes of earth into their garden last year to create a flatter area with an even steeper slope near the boundary.

Hadn’t thought of that but it is true.

for those asking it’s a flat roof Structure. The attached diagram - brown thing is a fence above a raised flower bed. Fence panel bottom is on raised bed so starts at ground level of their garden, from bottom of fence panel to roof is 4.5m. It also takes up most of their small garden.

Could do but it’s not the road I want to take. Still after more than 15 years work on our lovely garden am pretty upset the neighbours are happy to ruin our enjoyment of our home for an office I imagine will hardly be used (we have loads of friends who build these things and they mainly don’t use them).

Of course it’s an accurate statement, it’s taken from the government portal. Whether of not there is a slope is largely irrelevant. It will be measured from the height of the ground at the boundary of the two properties. It doesn’t matter whether the height at the boundary is even between the 2 properties or two meters higher. The rule is: if the building is within 2m of the boundary it cannot exceed 2.5m in height. It really isn’t that complex.

If it covers most of their garden it probably won’t be covered by permitted development. That might matter more than the height

This - Proximity to the boundary means that pemitted develoment cannot usually be used.

That is a terrible picture.. does not show slope or - height - or anything!

Am not an artist!

Ah! God love you! That IS a terrible drawing but I think I follow your description and I’d be devastated too.

I really hope you get it sorted. If the Council shoe no signs of action then find out who your local councillor and MP are and lobby them.

If necessary could you afford to pay a solicitor who specialises in planning for a consultation and letter? It won’t be cheap but it might do the trick.

Good luck!

Agree, can’t tell much from the scribble,
is it a flat roof or a pitched roof, is the 4.5 to the top of the roof or the fascia/ gutter

@Soontobesingles are you sure it’s not going to be an unofficial air bnb at that size?

I love a diagrammatic depiction and yours disappointed me.
Can you not throw in the back garden fences, the houses and such? Maybe a few trees? I suppose a blue sky with a few scattered clouds would be too much for you?

(yes, I’d absolutely complain to the council your neighbour is one CF)

Could well be they are running electricity and water out there too, but that I certainly would not countenance!

Can you give us a side elevation with the fence in the center?

My reading of the planning regs is that garden buildings built under permitted development have to be a certain distance from the property boundary as well as only being a certain size. I think you said it was right on the property boundary. I'd ring the planning department and get clarity on the rules then if they are in breach and won't make alterations then report. It's a difficult situation because it's hard when you fall.our with neighbours. But as others have said, you aren't responsible for them going ahead without checking properly. Try and discuss calmly if you can! Easier said than done. I know.

I'm thinking I would definetly report it but I would keep it low with the neighbours as you might get yourself into a war with them that you don't want to start. Let the authorities deal with it. If you get into a dispute it has to be reported to solicitors if you will sale in the future, affecting possibly the value. (If you own it) Just something to keep in mind. It sounds horrible though I hope you will get it sorted.

She said in the same post with the diagram - it's a flat roof structure

Get your local councillor(s) on board. They can hassle the Planning department on your behalf.

If it’s a flat roof without a parapet then it could possibly be at least 1.5m lower that the OP said