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Neighbours' extension blocking light - anything we can do?

5 replies

jumpjockey · 16/04/2009 20:01

We live in a victorian terrace, kitchens are out the back downstairs and the bathrooms (when the houses were built) in a single storey off the kitchen with a sloped roof (highest near house, lowest near garden IYSWIM), down a step from the kitchen.

The neighbours are having their old bathroom knocked down and replaced with a new one with the floor at the same height as the kitchen, and the roof starting a lot higher up the house. This means that there is now virtually no light going to be able to get into our kitchen window - there's a pic of the view of half built extension now on my profile, there's a fence then the breezeblocks. The fence is the same height between all the houses but usually the bathrooms are low (down the step) and the roof line is lower than the fence so it doesn't block the light. Because the extension was only a bit bigger in terms of ground space than the old one, they've not had to get planning permission - in fact the first we knew of it was guys coming to knock down the old bathroom.

Does this mean there's nothing we can do about it, and just have to live with a dark kitchen? The view I know we can't complain about, but the kitchen is pretty dark at the best of times and now hardly any light will get in at all. Any ideas as to how to make things lighter? We did have plans to redo the kitchen at some point and put in a bigger window, but if the majority of the light is going to be blocked anyway, hardly seems any point...

OP posts:
LIZS · 16/04/2009 20:07

They may still need buildings regs if not formal permissions. You don't have a right to direct natural light as such though. However they do have to conform to certain limitations and I'd have thought adjusting the roofline might need permission. Can you call planning office to check. have you spoken to them abotu your concerns even if they didn't discuuss their plans with you beforehand.

jumpjockey · 16/04/2009 20:32

Lizs thanks for your reply - it's only been today that we've seen how tall it's getting. They're not living in the house at the moment - long story but house has been empty for about 6 months, family of the old lady who used to live there are the ones doing it up and they're never about, just the builders.

I might mention it to the builder tomorrow to see how high it's going to get... I thought there were rules about the effect on light http://www.uk-builder.com/planning%20permission/rights-of-light.htm eg this suggests it's a tricky subject area

OP posts:
jollyjoanne · 16/04/2009 20:55

Jump there are a few planning restrictions which it may be worth checking - an extension is only permitted development if it meets a number of criteria including those below which may be relevant in your situation:

  • Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.
  • Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.
  • Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres.

If you think the new extension is larger than these dimensions it would be worth getting in touch with your local planning department.

jumpjockey · 17/04/2009 09:53

hi joanne, that last one sounds possibly relevant as the fence between our houses is only a metre from each building and the chap building said they've increased the height by a metre. Might have to sneak out with a tape measure!

OP posts:
mistlethrush · 17/04/2009 10:17

Contact your local council Planning Dept asap and take it from there....

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