Light pollution

[Levantine]

We have just moved into our new house. The house behind us - ie backing onto our garden has been extended, it is beautiful, with massive windows and a living wall. It is quite visible from the garden but didn't partciuarly bother us.

However, at night, they don't draw their curtains and the whole place is lit up with blue light . It's like having a giant spaceship at the bottom of the garden.

Is there anything we can do? I feel like an idiot for not thinking of it, but tbh it didn't occur to me.

put more fencing up or plant trees?

Close your curtains?

we can close the bedroom curtains, obviously, but the light spills onto the garden which spoils it in the evening. They have planted some trees, but their house is so enormous that they would need to be huge to block it

I was wondering really about whether light pollution is something that councils deal with at all. I would guess it's not really worth the hassle, but I am really sad about it

We bought the house planning to do a big loft conversion but the dormer windows would look straight onto the blue lights, so there would be no pleasure in having them open in the evenings in summer.

We are idiots not to have thought of this

It only really affects the enjoyment of your garden, and you wouldn't be in it every evening. IIRC, to qualify as light pollution it needs to affect you a lot more than this. It may be better if you pop round and chat to the owners, their electricity bill must be through the roof!

Thought so

It must be astronomical, it is a huge house

Our council made the nearby corner shop reduce the power of their lit sign because it was shining into houses so I think you might have grounds to complain although depends on circumstances I guess.
Have also used trellis and russian vine to speed grow greenery to block out neighbour's 1 billion candlepower security light. If you can't get trellis high enough - try a row of garden arches from argos - about a tenner each and grow the vines over them.

Have a chat with them, if they don't know that it's a problem they won't be able to do anything about it. It sounds naff to be honest.

Now, if you were going to use the dorma window to gaze up at the stars but you couldn't because of the light, then this would be pollution.

may not be your council, but the info is useful

Thanks LadySybil, that's really useful. So it seems to be 'light trespass' but I don't think it affects us badly enough to do anything about it - it doesn't stop us sleeping for example.

I wouldn't mind nearly so much if the lights weren't blue!

Go around and ask them if they can turn it off for a couple of nights a week. It's just a pointless waste of electricity IMO.

I know I should. I am being a bit of a wimp because the purchase of this house was held up a bit by an ongoing dispute over the wall between our house and theirs. We wanted it resolved before we exchanged as we didnt want to inherit any disputes. I think they are probably quite precious about their beautiful new extension.

Can you build a bloody great big wall??

Am thinking leylandii

Unfortunately we are on a very hilly hill so it would have to be 60 foot tall to block out the house

Leylandii would work, but you'd have to constantly cut them down as they are covered under the 'Tall Trees Act' and can only grow to 6 metres (I think). Why don't you have a BBQ and invite them round so they can see for themselves?

Yes, the barbecue is a good idea. DH met them on a viewing with a builder and the woman was enthusiastic about having young children in the area that won't last long

Best of luck. As I said, if they don't know there's a problem they can't do anything about it.