Neighbours have ignored their refused planning permission - I am bloody livid. Very long rant, but if anyone can help I'd be really grateful.

[BecauseImWorthIt]

I've posted about these neighbours before. Basically they moved in about 3 years ago and ever since then their house has been a constant (and I really mean constant) building site. There is always a skip outside the house, plus all manner of building equipment. For a period of several months there was a fucking huge lorry container in the front garden, which overshadowed our front garden.

The have had a loft conversion, then a ground floor extension. Remodelled the whole of the interior of the house and are now moving on to the garden.

We have been very patient and very accommodating - but recently our patience is being even more tried by them. They have had their back garden replaced with decking, and in the spring, she called me round to have a look (I thought she wanted me to admire it) and then complained about our cherry tree, because all the blossom was blowing on to her decking and staining it. Would I consider cutting down our tree?

No I bloody won't, although I did say we would have it pruned. Not that that will make any difference - it will still produce blossom!

Anyway, about 18 months ago they put in a planning application for a balcony, to be installed on the top (2nd floor, the loft conversion.) Permission was, thankfully, refused. Our back gardens are tiny, (no more than 3m long) and they would in effect have been sitting right on top of us and looking straight down on us if we are in our garden.

Today, more builders arrive, and they are only installing this balcony, even though they haven't been granted planning permission.

I've been on to the council's website, and it states categorically that they have had permission refused for this.

I am so, so, so cross I could blow my top and it's really upsetting me. I am now feeling very foolish and annoyed with myself for how accommodating we have been as they have basically just walked all over us and clearly have no sensitivity at all for how we might feel, and no recognition that this might be an invasion of our privacy.

I'm going to call the council first thing in the morning to make my complaint. Presumably they will have to remove this balcony?

Anyone had a similar experience? And what was the outcome for you?

If you don't want to be overlooked, could you plant a pergola and cover it with lovely plants? You could then sit under there with your G&T and be hidden from view. Not the outcome you wanted, I know.

It's all very well her saying she's just going to use it to air her duvet but what about if/when they sell? The people who buy it may be out on it all the time.
that there's nothing you can do about it.

I would still go and speak to her other neighbours and see what they feal about the balcony, and if they hads considered planting a cherry tree (infact I would be cruel and buy the other neighbours a cherry tree for their back yard!!)

Are you a fan of leylandi, BecauseImWorthIt?

Her bedding is going to get bloody wet in the UK

Either become a very nosey neighbour and go and speak to over the fence every time you hear/see them in the garden

Or take up nude sunbathing .

If they are Swedish they won't mind the nude sunbathing....

leylandi are coming back in fashion you know [mwah ha ha evil cackle]

Our neighbour asked us to chop a tree down because the leaves fell on her drive and she was constantly sweeping them up. She claimed they constituted a 'public nuisance'. She didn't have a leg to stand on legally. They can chop down branches that are overhanging but that's it.

Leylandii planting is the way to go - maple trees also good as seed everywhere plus loads of leaves

Sorry to hear this BIWI.
I did roffle at 'another cherry tree' though.

Am actually quite tempted to buy you one so you can plant TWO cherry trees

Tis hippi btw

LOL at another cherry tree.

I'll find out what the tree is in our neighbours front garden if you like....I went out to teh car the other day and it had covered it in bright green sap and seed cases.

That'll cause havoc on the decking

A sycamore tree would do the trick, they grow v tall and produce lots of green goo (and suckers too).

That balcony sounds like a mighty expensive clothes airer - I wouldn't believe her for a minute!

It's true though that they do air bedlinen/duvets on the continent. When we lived in the Netherlands, the woman who did our cleaning would always open the window and hang the duvet over the sill to air.

Oh jolly bad luck

We did cut down a 300ft sycamore tree once, which overshadowed everyone else's gardens - they couldn't have demanded it be removed, but were bloody grateful when it was! The leaves were a nightmare every year, for us mainly but everyone else.
One kind neighbour contributed, the others didn't - but they did give me some antique kimonos one day, utterly unrelated to the tree, and I recently sold them on ebay for over £100 so I consider that their contribution!!
This was a long time ago...

PMSL at the various horticultural suggestions!

I can just see me going to the garden centre and asking for a fast growing, prolific blossoming tree with extra sticky sap and leaves that fall of at the slightest breeze!

I will bide my time now, as really I have no other options, but if they do start using it in a way which intrudes on us I will be on her doorstep bloody quick.

The sad thing about this is that they have now lost the chance to have good neighbours, as we have now not got the slightest inclination to accommodate them any more.

As DH said "if they come round here with any more of their ridiculous requests they'll get it from me with both barrels". Oh er!

(He won't of course, he will just mutter something incomprehensible and then fume for hours)

I suggest a badly aligined sprinkler system, aimed right at the balcony

Or perhaps buy a really yappy dog and let him roam free in your garden all night.

Cats to poo on the decking?

Lots of Cow Muck to mulch your beds with?

There was a thread about spraying fence treatment the other day. Perhaps you could do this as well? here

I am in a bad mood - can you tell?

BIWI sorry for you sounds nuts that they won on appeal, based on how you describe your house etc.

Have had me chuckling about the cherry tree though

Arrundo Donax or Giant Reed is the way to go. You start with two. they multiply, A LOT. There will usually be one 15 cm away from the "mother plant", and you know what, these plants dont respect fences. You plant two at the bottom of your garden, next to her fence, SHE will shortly have a forest of them growing up on HER side. You, will in your superior knowledge have laid down weedsupressing fabric, and heavy paving slabs surrounding the area you plant them, with a couple of nice urns on top for weight. Extremely resilient, and stunning looking plants.

full grown, maybe 2 years old

and "baby"

I think an ash tree would work well. I have them growing up all over the place from the 3 trees lodged between our fence and the back of the pub (narrow bit) and I am sure they are all seedlings from one in the church yard, despite them being as tall as the house. If they happened to drop between the decking boards and grow they would be a hell of a job to get out.

You are all so wicked!
I'm liking the idea of planting stuff that will grow under the fence and under their decking!

Don't go for lelandi (sp?), they are covered by the tall trees and hedges legislation so you will be forced to cut them back if they grow above a certain height and the neighbours complain. Cherry trees, however, are not .

I think you are quite lucky they have only done a balcony to be honest. I have 2 semi detached houses at the bottom of my 6ft garden so this does not make a very nice view. We did object (very strongly) but they were allowed to build through appeal. They have been empty for several months because the builders can't sell them. Every time I look out of my windows I can only see these houses. My living room's at the back aswell. They are not trying to annoy you, they want a nice home. To build an entire house that blocks your light, that's annoying.

avenanap - what an awful situation to be in.

I know that our neighbours are only trying to create a nice home for themselves, but 3+ years and the balcony - surely they must realise that this is a tad insensitive?