How on earth do I approach this???

[quackers]

Please could a diplomatic soul help me out?? My neighbours have had an extension built. We are actually quite good friends and our kids play together. Unfortunately they have had huge windows put in and they are so imposing and look dirctly into the house and garden. I am really upset as I'm sure this will devalue the house, we no longerhave the view as it was ( which is why we got the house). The only thing they see out of this big window is our garden. We will have no privacy whatsoever. I'm sorry if this sounds whingy but how do I go about asking if they could do away with one window perhaps as a compromise. We will just have to cope with the building itself as it is done now. Thanks to anyone who listened long enough"!!!!!!

They would have had to have planning permission for an extension - and you must have been consulted about this? I am fairly sure that you should have been shown plans too - especially if there is a window overlooking your property. Did this not happen?

If not then really the first thing to do is to contact your council and find out whether your approval should have been sought for work of this type overlooking your property. If they did show you the plans, or at least detail them, and you said OK at the time, then I don't think there is anything you can do as long as the actual building has followed the plans.

yes Oakmaiden - thanks, we did briefly se the plans, but like I say they were friends and we thought it would be fine - silly I know. What we couldn't see on the plans was the actual size of this window. Its about 5-6 feet wide!! This obviously doesn't come accross this size on the plans. We should have taken more time over them but that;s with hindsight. It really is bothering me. I know we peobably don't have case but thought we could maybe try and sort it amicably to please both parties and remian friends.

Quackers I don't know if you have a case or not, but our neighbours are currently trying to get an extension built, so we are going through it now. Their first application was refused, though this second one has nothing we are concerned about. It says on the letter we received that we can appeal, but they do not take into account loss of view, or devaluation of property. They do however allow loss of light and loss of privacy as grounds for appeal. Hth. Good luck.

A Great Big Fence comes to mind... ok your friends, but also neighbours, friends/neighbours or not they should have consulted you about the size of the window they were putting in, why on earth are they looking into your garden? do they not have their own? I think under planning laws we are "not entitled to the right of a view" only light. you could try placing a canopy swing with its back to the window, this may help block the view into your garden, they may get the message or ask them when they are getting the blinds to fit..

Thanks lou33. Don't really want to go so far down that line yet. They are lovely people and that's probably why we didn't question it at the time. I didn't even look for windows, just the size of it and we measured it out and thought well it's not too big, but now I see it will have a roof too and not a flat roof. It;s a shame I can;t show you a photo. Tha house s don't have any obstructions at all, they are all open gardens cos of the view. I can cope with the building but really need my privacy because they are so open plan. The window's gotta go!!!!

Unfortunately if you saw and approved the plans you do not now have much of a case. You could insist on seeing the original plans and check the size of the windows. It would have been to scale so the size of the windows would have been clearly shown. If the windows have been built bigger than was shown on the plans you certainly have a case.

Thanks Mother nature. Our garden is sunken lowet than thiers, they have a higher position, so a conopy would not be tall enough. We are not allowed fences because it's open plan, there is just a small picket fence. We were hoping to put a conservatory ( when we can afford it) in the garden but it would look really silly now I think and we would just see their extension! I do think they'll put blinds in but if we ever wanted to sell, poeople wouldn't want that window looking in!!

That is a problem, then. Thing is, if you saw the plans (and the size of the window MUST have been on them, even if it wasn't clear to you quite how they would overlook you) then legally that is that.

Does their new room have lots of other windows, or are they reliant upon this one for most of the light in their room? I can't really see much way of doing this completely amicably - to change their extension now will cost them money, after all, and they aren't really going to want to do it.... I think all you can do is mention it to them in passing, something like "Oh, my, I didn't realise that your new window would overlook our garden so much" and see what they say. Since you don't want to fall out, then there is not much else you can do.... (If you disn't mind falling out I would suggest erecting a fence on the perimeter of your property blocking their window )

If the window overlooks as much as you say, it seems strange that they would have got permission in the first place.

Enid - not if quackers was asked for permission, and had no complaint about it. That's the whole point of planning permission, isn't it?

Yor're right, I think the local gov sometimes don't come out and have a look, they just approve. They have lots of space but they don't think about the views. I think I'll take the route of saying come over and have a look to them and see if theywould be happy having that overlooking their garden. Actually they're very sociable so probably wouldn't! We only have ourselves to blame and should have checked the plans more thouroughly. I am annoyed with myself now, I sort of trusted them to do it so that it would have little bearing on us. I can even cope with loosing the view to some extent, just not the window. They have a double doors in it and a nother window on the other side so have plenty of light etc...

The district council would take into account the fact that it overlooked another property. Quackers wouldn't have had to say anything, its quite usual for the council to turn down development if they feel it will adversely affect other houses nearby.

Not allowed big fences only pickett fence and your garden is lower than theirs, difficult one there, what about a Pergola or maybe a Tree or two, three, four in pots... very big pots.. maybe a Gazebo? a Shed? sorry...running out of ideas looks like you will have to confront them, ask them over for a drink into your garden, let them look at the extension from your side, perhaps they dont realise the size it is from your garden view point, I'm sure you will be able to compromise somehow...best of luck Quakers

I don't live in the UK, I live on an Island off the UK and it has it's own laws. They are in fact doing away with planning permission this month for extensions under a certain size!!

Thanks all, really appreciate the quick feedback I got off this one!!! Small thing really but it can really affect you. I am more hormaonal too, just got pg again so that probably will be giving me some fuel!!!

I think a nice big bush is in order Quackers.

I think one solution that you both may be happy with is if they put obscured glass (like you have in bathroom windows). They would still have the light but you wouldn't feel like they could see into your garden. Hth.

Just to let you kind people know what has happened, I'm sure you'll all sleep better knowing ! We had the neighbours over and they realised that the window was HUGE. They called the builder to see if it could be changed but it is defo too late and would cost them loads. So they are going to try and get obscured glass and have promised to keep their blinds closed all the time and grow their bushes higher around the window area. So hopefully, not an ideal solution but they tried and we're still good friends!
Thanks again!

Good news that it's been resolved nicely quackers. Well done.

Oh great, what a relief for you, not an ideal situation but at least they realised what was happening on their own and are going to try and make it better.