Half way through our build and neighbour says unhappy...

[Nkmama15]

Hi,

I’m not here to be mean but to get some genuine advice on how to smooth this over.

About a year ago we put in planning permission for a conservatory. One brick wall and two glass walls. The permission from granted and the freeholder also gave permission after a long 6 months and a lot of money given.

We started the building work about 3 weeks ago and my neighbour who spends 4-6 months of the year in the UK said ‘oh you are doing works?’ ( I know she knows as was served a notice, I sure her reading the planning permission notice outside her house and the council also sent a letter before permission granted!).
She was fine with works and actually said she wanted to do the same thing and if she could come and ask for advise on how to do etc etc.
Today, she has been shouting at my builder and husband that it’s a horrible wall and we have ruined the feel of her house (which i feel terrible about if she truly feels that way..!) , she turned and said she was contacting the council and would hang a picture on the wall..! Hahah! . The wall is inside our boundary and we were going to grow climbers or put the fence back up. Her house is nearly 3 metres away from ours. My husband said there was a wall in the plans and you knew we were doing a conservatory and this couldn’t be glass as she would be able to look into the house and she said - I don’t mind seeing into your house( and my husband laughed nervously and said but I do...

Anyway, I know we have the PP and all the paperwork and that’s not what I’m worried about, I just hate conflict and I know she needed to vent. What can I do to smooth this over?!

I’m afraid some people just don’t like change and will always moan.
It sounds like you are doing everything by the book, so I really wouldn’t worry too much.
Obviously if she is thinking of doing something similar she will have to build a wall as well.
If she doesn’t like what you’ve built, there is nothing you can do about it, she will just have to get used to it.
I would advise being as polite to her as possible, at the most the council may check that you built as your plans they will do nothing.
Even if she had complained when you submitted plans it probably wouldn’t have made any difference.
I hope she doesn’t make your life too difficult.

Thank You for taking the time to write to me.
She only moved in next door 3 years ago and we have been here 2 years. I feel
Sad she is upset but she obviously didn’t take notice of the plans last year . I know she’s back to Spain from May through to October so hopefully it will be ok. I was even thinking of buying her an Olive tree for her garden..! I don’t want conflict , I’ll
Let her vent at me as I don’t think I’ll be able to say anything that makes her happy...

It’s a tricky one, in my last house our neighbours got funny about all our building work, but it was mainly that they were elderly and didn’t see why we wanted to change things, said things like why didn’t you just buy a bigger house instead of extending/ loft conversion. They obviously had no idea about the cost of things.
They became more frail and in the last few years we lived there, we helped them several times when they fell or had problems at home, I was always glad that I really tried to not get cross with their moaning when we did the building works.
I’d also hate to fall out with neighbours, I’d say give her a bit of time to cool down, the plant/Tree is a lovely idea maybe give it to her when you’ve finished and say thank you.
I always try and think how I’d like to be treated, many people just want their feeling to be heard, hopefully she’s like that and won’t turn into a moaning pest

Once the fence goes back up she'll be much happier. I'm sure at the moment the expanse of wall looks huge but the impact will lessen over time..

Maybe she'd like you a paint a lovely Muriel on the wall?

Ignore her, as others have said put the fence back.

She has no right to hang anything on your wall btw, or paint it etc so keep an eye on that.