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Original poster

Neighbours Extension - AIBU

64 replies

Fridaynightfizz · 18/05/2018 18:26

Bit of background. We live in a very nice village in a quiet cul-de-sac, all detached houses, most of the neighbours are retired but still active. It's not our first choice of house but as we send DC to public school, we cannot afford to live in the kind of house we would dearly love to.

To get to the point, our neighbours are building an very large extension which we didn't want them to build due to the distruption these kind of things cause to people's lives. Parking is an issue and we tried to, unsuccessfully, block their planning! It's been an absolute nightmare! They are doing a self-build and it is moving very slowly. We have complained to the Council about this but they are not interested as they have planning. They have a teenage son who has "gatherings" when the parents are away, couple of weekends and an annual holiday per year. His friends and him sit in the garden drinking alcohol, being loud and using language we do not approve of. We have tried to complain to the Council about this too but it has been met on deaf ears!

There was a big bust-up and none of us are on speaking terms any longer.

The extension seems to be taking forever to do and we are just fed-up with all the dust and having to look at all their building materials stacked up - it's very unsightly!

Can anyone give any advice on what we can do to stop them building?

OP posts:

FaFoutis · 18/05/2018 19:08

I don't think YABU either. My ambition is to live in the middle of a field. People are wankers.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 18/05/2018 19:09

If you want peace and quiet you need to have no neighbours. Your neighbours are doing nothing wrong they have the right to enjoy their garden as much as you do and music is common in areas with multiple houses. They also have the right to undertake building work on a Saturday morning . I also imagine they work hard and want to enjoy their weekends but if they don't do any work then the extension will take longer?

somewhereovertherain · 18/05/2018 19:11

Move and grow up.

IamPickleRick · 18/05/2018 19:12

We moved here to enjoy the peace and quiet not have to listen to loud music in the garden, teenagers getting drunk and building work going on.

Are you terraced/semi detached? I think you need to buy a detached home in a field to get guaranteed isolation.

Whatthefoxgoingon · 18/05/2018 19:13

Who died and made you king?

They have planning permission and are building their extension. They aren’t being antisocial. They may not have the finances to complete the works within the timeframe you see fit. Tough for you!

Original poster

Fridaynightfizz · 18/05/2018 19:13

I don't understand why people are thinking this is a reverse?! We are living in a completely nightmare with all the stress of this situation! Are people really so insensitive?

OP posts:

Dobbythesockelf · 18/05/2018 19:15

Obviously they have planning permission so you just can't expect them to stop just cause you don't like it. The council obviously didn't see a reason to stop them when they went for planning permission even after you contacted them so why would they stop it now?
The teenager thing is a whole different matter. How often is it really? If it's only a few times a year then the best thing to do would have been to calmly discuss this with your neighbours.
If you don't want noise then you need to move somewhere without neighbours but I live in a terrace house so I'm probably more used to noise.

BIWI · 18/05/2018 19:15

Oh! If only you'd said you were a professional in your OP! I'd have been a lot more sympathetic!

I think your username says a lot about your objectives in posting here, to be quite honest.

namechangedtoday15 · 18/05/2018 19:15

OP says it's detached. We've had a big extension, as has next door. We were never affected by their dust (there's probably about 4m in between the houses). How are you affected by dust.

I would hardly call a teenage party 2 or 3 times a year anti social behaviour?!.

Notonthestairs · 18/05/2018 19:19

Just popping on to say I'm enjoying the thread. Much more fun than the royal whatnot.

Mymycherrypie · 18/05/2018 19:19

For the 3 or 4 nights a year that he has a gathering, could you not just avoid the garden and sit in the house? Like they clearly have to, to avoid the crashing sound of your pettiness. I can hear you tutting from here, who can to speak to at the council?

Mymycherrypie · 18/05/2018 19:20

Who can I speak to, obvs

Carolynnnna · 18/05/2018 19:20

As I understand it, you can't object to a property development because of temporary noise and disruption.
If there are issues such as building dust blowing onto your property, the developers have to mitigate for that (put up a barrier etc.).
In any case once planning permission is granted there is nothing you can do unless they are breaching any conditions.

Lorddenning1 · 18/05/2018 19:22

Have you logged this with 101

SwedishEdith · 18/05/2018 19:23

If they're building on a Saturday morning that means it's completed earlier = result.

Teen only has parties 2 or 3 times a year. He'll leave home/grow out of it soon.

If you want complete peace and quiet, you have to live rurally. People make sounds.

4yearsnosleep · 18/05/2018 19:24

If you work hard all week then I don't see how it's impacting you much apart from Saturday mornings? Building work is only allowed in hours Mon-Fri & Saturday mornings. They only need to let you know as a courtesy. I've let our neighbours know and promised a thank you meal once I have my new kitchen. Lots of people are extending rather than moving so it's to be expected I'm afraid. Maybe have a polite discussion regarding the sons 'gatherings'

LadyGAgain · 18/05/2018 19:32

You sound like a nightmare TBH. A few weekends a year a teenager (who won't be one for long) has some mates around when his folks are away. Get over that.
And their build won't go on forever. They have planning and that was approved. Planners aren't known for their willingness to grant permission unless all boxes were ticked.
What will you moan about when the kid is grown up and the house is built? Maybe bin day needs to be moved as Tuesday's don't sit well with your Monday night schedule.

BlueEyedBengal · 18/05/2018 19:42

We had a neighbour that sounds like you, threatened to cut one of our tiles because it was an inch over her boundary. Her uncle was there with his cutters frozen because I got them in the act. And then there was reports to the council about water flowing on to her roof from our gutters, impossible because we are down hill from her! She reported 3 times even after we went up to check all was flowing on a rainy day. And still got threatened by legal action. My eldest son works in the housing sector done some digging and found out the housing officer was her own daughter ( different name) he met them out one day and said are you the one dealing with your mums complaint? Never heard any more off them!

siwel123 · 18/05/2018 19:59

OP i understand the building work is disruptive.
However they legally gained planning permission and if they're following the rules there's nothing you can do.
Having friends in the garden and being loud is not soemthing the council can deal with, it needs to be happening very regulary for them to investigate.

OP i'm sorry you feel your life is being ruined but you need to realise you complaining to the council over the doing nothing wrong it OTT.

somewhereovertherain · 18/05/2018 20:04

You come across as a pompous arse hence no sympathy. Made take god child out of private school and buy a house with lots of land.

AmazingGrace16 · 18/05/2018 20:08

The building work and parties are two entirely separate issues.
Your neighbours have every right to do building work even more so that your objections were not recognised by the council.
If you want things to change then you need to change first. The building works will not go on forever so get over it.

GummyGoddess · 18/05/2018 20:09

What will you do when your DC wants to throw parties?

ChorleyFMcominginyourears · 18/05/2018 20:36

This has got to be a wind up 😂😂😂 if not then YABU bet you're one of those that hate people having bbqs too with the smoke and the smell of charcoal polluting your garden 🙄 why is it unreasonable of them to build an extension?? Or is it the fact that their house is going to be bigger than yours now 🤔

pinkgirl1234 · 18/05/2018 21:59

we cannot afford to live in the kind of house we would dearly love to.

Oh bless. Neither can I.

I hate building work close by and I hate noisy parties but I still think your OP is made up bollocks ridiculous.

Just popping on to say I'm enjoying the thread. Much more fun than the royal whatnot.

And this. 😂

Original poster

Fridaynightfizz · 18/05/2018 22:07

ChorleyFMcominginyourears..not a wind-up, and actually since you mention it, bbqs are an issue, the DS has bbq when his parents are on holiday and this is exactly when the issues begin with the anti-social behaviour! We are veggies and, although I appreciate that people have bbqs during the good weather, the issue with us is the noise, the smell and the bad language..I have young children..surely that should be taken into consideration?

OP posts:

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