Objecting to Bungalow Loft Extension

[BadassBusty]

We have been notified that one of the bungalows at the back of our garden wants to add a dormer extension so they can put a room in the loft space. I don't have a huge problem with the dormer as the angle of the house means it isn't majorly impacting on us. The main issue we have is they want to put a window in the rear so our current very private garden would then be overlooked. As they are all bungalows we don't have first floor windows looking over at us. One of the big selling points to us was the private garden - has anyone objected to this before and what was the outcome? Is it worth objecting to them using the loft space too as I am concerned this would set a precedent and we'd see bungalows turned into houses, not sure I can do much about that of course in the long run. I also don't want to be a horrible neighbour but willing to stand our ground on the window. Any advice greatly appreciated!

So is the window overlooking your garden the dormer or a velux?
Bedroom or bathroom?

So you, your neighbours on either side and behind are all bungalows?
I'm surprised none of them have extended into the roof before now.

It will be a bedroom window - normal window overlooking the garden so clear glass.

So you, your neighbours on either side and behind are all bungalows?
I'm surprised none of them have extended into the roof before now.

We have a corner plot so we only have the bungalow's at the back.

I would definitely be objecting to the window unless it was in the roof rather than built into the dormer bit. I am in a dormer, and my neighbour only has a window in the roof, so although I can see into his back garden from my first floor, he cannot see into mine!

The actual extending into the loft space wouldn't bother me - more and more people are doing this.

I'm surprised none of them have extended into the roof before now

It's an area known for bungalows so I assume people buy them to keep them as such. That is my hope anyway!

You can only put it in writing and hope for the best

You can object, but if your area is anything like mine it is unlikely to do much good. And you are fortunate it's just a bungalow extending into the attic, not knocking down and replacing with two townhouses.

Do you know the owners of the house? I would pop round and speak to them and state your objections (I wish our neighbours had done this with us rather than saying they were ok with what we we doing and then objecting to it). If you explain your concerns and they are nice, they could move the height of the window, change to velux windows or move the window to the other side.

AFAIK there are rules on overlooking and the window must be more than a certain distance from your house or some such. I don't know if that would apply to the garden being overlooked - i.e. whether the window has to be a certain distance from the boundary. As long as it is the specified distance then I think your objection would fail.

An "out of keeping with the area" objection might be possible as the rest of the street is bungalows but if they're not actually raising the height of the main roof, just adding a dormer bit, that might not be relevant.

Basically I think you're unlikely to succeed. Sorry.

This is from the planning portal
A30 Overlooking of gardens may be unacceptable where it would result in an intrusive, direct and uninterrupted view from a main room, to the most private area of the garden, which is often the main sitting out area adjacent to the property, of your neighbours’ house. As a general rule of thumb this area is the first 3-4 metres of a rear garden, closest to the residential property.

Thank you everyone - great to get some insight so I can adjust my expectations. Talking to them is a really good idea, I didn't even think of that (we don't know them as we only moved in a few months ago).

You could object...but it's not likely to make any difference to the outcome. We bought a bungalow, surrounded by other bungalows and not overlooked by any of them.

Our new neighbours extended into loft. No windows shown on drawings, but they put velux in anyway (apparently velux don't need planning). Now they are replacing the velux with dormers, one of which will have a Juliet balcony! Planning has been approved. We have no right to privacy it seems.

It's happening everywhere now, planning is a free for all. Many bungalows being converted into 'houses'...but then some complain that older people won't downsize. The bungalow was the traditional style older folk would downsize to.

This happened to us and now the neighbour complains about my topless sunbathing!! My previously totally private garden is now obliquely overlooked by their bedroom windows. They also replaced downstairs frosted windows with clear as 'gave them a lovely view' ...... Of my garden! We put a high fence up.

When the plans were drawn up for our loft conversion it included a window overlooking adjacent gardens. I left it up to the architect and never gave the window a thought until the neighbours objected. The plans were redone and the window changed. It didn’t bother me at all, so absolutely object to the location of the window. They may well have to move it to another side.

I don’t understand why people can’t just put some velux windows in their loft conversions.
Why are they so intent on wanting to look into other people’s gardens / living rooms etc and taking away other people’s privacy? By having dormer windows.
A bungalow by my friends house has been allowed to raise the roof so it’s now more or less the same height as a normal 2 storey house, they have also allowed a 2 former windows on the side to now look directly into 3 adjoining bungalows gardens, bedrooms and living rooms.
That’s not forgetting the french door with balcony on the rear ‘roof’ looking into the neighbours properties even more.
Nearly forgot, they have also been allowed to build a large breeze block ‘shed’ in the back garden complete with full UPVC windows and doors.

So of course these people are laughing as they get to do whatever the hell they want, the council don’t give a damn and the poor neighbours have had their homes delvalued and now effectively live in a goldfish bowl.

Loosing privacy into your garden isn’t a valid objection unfortunately.

I sympathise as my garden was v private but every time someone does a loft extension i loose that. Something to expect I think really.

I don’t understand why people can’t just put some velux windows in their loft conversions. Why are they so intent on wanting to look into other people’s gardens / living rooms etc and taking away other people’s privacy? By having dormer windows.

For the additional space you get, obviously. You get a hell of a lot more usable floorspace with a full width dormer than you do with leaving a sloped roof. It’s not about wanting to look into your house, not everything is about you.

Do people sit in bedrooms staring into other people’s gardens? I don’t think they do. Roads with 100% bungalows are rare now and I wouldn’t expect them to stay like this unless it’s a conservation area. You don’t have a right to a view. It would also depend how far away this window is. It’s also a bedroom window which does matter as it’s not a main living room. Ask for partially obscured glass? They might even use curtains to maintain their privacy!

BlueSkies!ies. There is no need for rudeness. Exactly where have I stated that it is all about me? If you read my post correctly it states that I was writing about a bungalow near my friends house.

How much time are people going to spend looking out their bedroom window? How much time do you (honestly) spend looking out your bedroom window? They'll be using it for light, not for looking at you.

It's a complete non issue. You'd be very unkind to object on this basis.

Yellow but you can argue that any upstairs window looks into someone else's garden, house etc? Do your bedroom windows overlook your neighbours gardens? Mine sure as hell do.

don't Velux windows give less ventilations to the room?

I can see into both m neighbours gardens from the windows of our two bedrooms at the back of my house. I have never felt the need to.