Evergreen Tree for privacy pleeeease!

[Sparkesy]

Our neighbour has decided to build himself 2 HUGE dormer windows so that we are now completely overlooked - our rear gardens are back to back and the two new window openings on his roof are about 3 metres wide each and loom over us so we now have zero privacy. Their upstairs bedroom windows already looked into our garden, but this new 'home improvement' has made it far worse. It feels awful to be at the back of the house or in the garden now.

We are thinking of planting a tree to give us a little privacy to enable us to sit in a part of our garden without feeling so loomed over.
Our gardens aren't huge and I really don't want to go down the Leylandii route and would prefer a lollipop shape tree.
So please, please give me your best recommendations for a preferably evergreen, foliage for screening, about 5 metres max height tree we could plant. I'm prepared to spend extra for a fairly mature specimen but just need to narrow it down.
We already have 2 blossoming trees on the other side of the garden so happy to go for the same, or consider something new.

Some ideas here

We've had the same problem - if you want full coverage go for leylandii- I know it's boring!!..but be careful as it can grow too big and cause problems with height.
A laurel hedge is good too.

a beech hedge .. more interesting than a laylandii... not evergreen but as good as because it holds onto its leaves till spring. All will take a few years to bed in and give you descent covering...

Till then use a washing line??... keep some sheets on it permanently?...

Good luck with a difficult problem ... neighbours can be so thoughtless!

Bay trees, when allowed to grow naturally are big. We have one that’s 10ft. It was out of hand when we moved to the house and have now lollipopped it and iris lovely. You would have to source a semi mature one.
Eucalyptus is another tree that grows quickly and is evergreen, with silvery leaves.

Unless you can afford a very large tree, surely you'll be waiting years before its big enough to provide any coverage?

Either while a tree grows, or instead of, have you thought about bamboo grown in long, thin plant troughs against the fence line. Pots can be moved if needed and no risk of them getting out of control.

bambooplantsonline.com/blogs/blog/46194180-how-to-grow-a-bamboo-privacy-screen-in-containers

Go for the pleached trees on knittedfairies post and/or raised trellis you can plant something evergreen and rambling along,

Also, did your neighbour get planning permission to change his windows like that? Might be worth checking in case he has done something He should have had permission for?

Red robin photinias work really well pleached as well as lollipop trees.
Olive trees are also evergreen and won't grow huge so can buy the size you need if the garden is small.
If size isn't an issue a Eucalyptus tree can be nice and grows quickly

Same here. It's awful isn't it? I keep trying not to look up to see if they are leaning out their Juliette balcony. We only have a small garden.

I've planted up a couple of 'Eucalyptus but even at a couple of metres high they are still too young and thin to give decent cover. I'm looking at putting some mature trees in, in Autumn time, but it's going to cost hundreds.

I've put a pergola around our patio area and bought rambling rector roses from David Austin. They are off to a good start, but still going to be a while before there is any cover.
So watching with interest, and in solidarity.

Thanks so much everyone- apparently the neighbour next to us (who is also unhappily overlooked now) says they've questioned it and were told they don't need planning as it's under permitted regulations.
It's not the highway side of their house and doesn't go beyond the height of their roofline. But of course as we look up at it, it's sticking out and up higher and does impact on us greatly. Sadly it seems there's nothing we can do.
He's a builder and lockdown has kickstarted his own home improvements and he clearly doesn't give a shit about the neighbours.
I called the planning office for info and they said I can open a grievance if I feel there has been a planning breech but apparently it's likely to be part of a previous planning application.
I totally get wanting to improve your home though, and it's just unfortunate for us it's so overbearing.

Anyway, great suggestions, thanks again for the ideas everyone, AmIAWeed I looked at Red Robin Photanis earlier and liked the look of it.
I'm prepared to pay quite a bit for a more mature tree for a bit of privacy in our own garden- hopefully it'll improve the situation (even psychologically for me)
Thanks all

Our rear neighbour has a Chinese windmill palm and it works well to screen the houses behind us. Only about 4m though and may not work with the style of your garden

...they don't need planning as it's under permitted regulations.
It's not the highway side of their house and doesn't go beyond the height of their roofline. But of course as we look up at it, it's sticking out and up higher and does impact on us greatly. Sadly it seems there's nothing we can do. and this is why the latest Government plans are so worrying. In practice, planning permission isn't about getting a development stopped, it's getting the plans adapted to something that doesn't too badly affect those who have to live with its effects. But planning permission will no longer be required if where you live is put into the "development" category.

Don’t do Leylandi! A snowball tree? A hedge? Hydrangeas, prunus, flamingo willow,

Daphne x transatlantica Eternal Fragrance evergreen - gorgeous!

I’m going to plant mature Red Robins But I’m putting them in a raised bed so that I don’t have to wait so long for them to reach 5 meters..