Planners: help me phrase objection

[IamnotaspoonIamafork]

So, I live in a bungalow, in a street of bungalows. The street backing onto my back garden is a mix of houses and bungalows. The present owner of the bungalow backing onto my garden, has applied for permission to demolish and replace with a two-storey building to include 6 flats.

Obviously, I am not thrilled, because anything above ground floor would directly overlook my garden (which is small) and look straight into my living room and kitchen.

Can anyone advise on the best way to phrase an objection, and the most sensible amendment I could request? I realise housing is in short supply, but I want to try and find a solution that retains my current privacy...

Well I can sympathise as we are going through something similar ourselves. There should be information on your Council's planning website around the type of planning that is likely to be permitted and likely reasons for rejection.

It may also be worth speaking to a duty planning officer to try and find the relevant documents if you are not able to find them. I think your main objections are going to be lack of privacy and possibly loss of light but it is going to depend on distance of flats and direction of sun etc. Is parking going to be an issue?

I am far from an expert (and hopefully experts will be along later) but it is certainly worth spending time looking at your local planning portal to find similar developments that may have been rejected and reasons why. You should be able to view the written representations and the written statement of refusal by the Council. These proved helpful for us.

Are the existing non-bungalow buildings in the street behind you all original builds, or have any of them been built on the site of a previous 1-storey building?

I thought it wasn't permissible to put a much taller property on a residential plot? (Though planning laws seem to have been eased lately in favour of cramming in as much as possible )

(I meant to add, is there a precedent on that street for increasing the height of a new building on an existing plot?)

What size are the buildings either side of the bungalow?

Thank you, seeing if a planning officer will advise/guide me to relevant docs on the portal is a great idea.

The bungalow is the original building on that plot (c.1940s). On one side is a similar bungalow; on the other a two-storey house. Both are original builds.

I think my main concerns are that as it's flats, the upper level will potentially be used all day, IYSWIM? Going from a plot housing one household, to it housing six households, is also obviously going to impact on general noise etc. A two-storey house would bother me less, although I'd still be asking for higher fencing for privacy.