building project half way through, all pukka and council approved - neighbours kicking off. What would you do?

[suzywong]

hello

Well the long awaited Wong-wing is finally at the last stage of external construction, a 5m by 3.5m double brick extension to the main house, same roof tiles, same colour and same ceiling height - nice 1950s 2.9m high ceilings approved by council.

Neighbours, to whom we showed plans months ago out of courtesy and not through obligation, come round to complain about portionf window-less single=storey wall well away from boundary fence and stand in my garden and say... "it's ugly. I can see it from my kitchen window and it's ugly"

so I start to cry and run in the house



if a project is approved by council, is that not the end of it? What would you do?

NB we have gone way out of our way to be as unobtrusive and considerate as humanly possible. Over here you can bulid two storeys as close as 90cm to boundary wall.

[WendyWeber]

Oh sooz You have been looking forward to this for so long!

Is it ugly because it doesn't have a window? And it doesn't have a window because that would overlook them? So they are being V Unreasonable.

How about suggesting you paint a lovely muriel on it - a Hawaaian sunset with mermaids or something?

[WendyWeber]

Hawaiian?

[suzywong]

I was thinking of a mural of MY ARSE actually

there is also a 1.8m non-seethrough fence between the two properties.


I am satisfied I followed council procedure to the letter.

thank you for you response, wendy, how are tamasin and the twins?

[Isababel]

Just ignore them Suzy, they had their time to complain and they didn't. Their problem, is not as if you can reposition now the building to suit them besides. You need that building more than what they need not to see bricks.

If they find it good to be unkind, I would stop any plans I had to cover brick wall with a nice plant. Sorry. Being a good neighbour goes both ways.

[WendyWeber]

Oh, you wouldn't recognise them now

[BecauseImWorthIt]

Well - not much you can do really. You've done everything you're obliged to and more, by the sounds of it.

Can you suggest that you could plant some kind of climbing shrub to make the wall a bit more attractive?

Don't know if this would work - don't really know much about where you are!

They have had their chance to object, now is too late!

[suzywong]

yeah

they didn't say what they wanted me to do about it they just kept saying "it's ugly"

their house ain't no oil paintings themselves, let me tell yerd



thank you for your responses, all the attention is making me fell much better now

[suzywong]

well I'm not sure they ever had a chance to object because the plans followed all the council's building codes and more and I was never asked to formally show them the plans as part of the planning submission.

it is a shame when neighbours kick off. Ramsay Street is all a horrid lie, as I have learned to my discomfort

[TiramisuTartsandPiesInOrbit]

Suzy,
The council would have sent them a letter when you had put your planning application in. And if you have followed the regulations regards to boundaries etc, they can't really do anything about it, other than maybe plant something on their side, like a little tree to soften it up a little.

[WendyWeber]

even better than my original idea - very tasteful.

[WendyWeber]

(Good God, they charge $19 for a 10x14 print of that???)

[suzywong]

thanks tiramisu

and wendy where the F&CK did you find that?
It's exactly the tattoo I have on my decollatage

[serenity]

No helpful advice at all, but just wanted to offer support

You're right. They're wrong. Paint a mural of Marilyn Manson or something across the wall.

[suzywong]

thanks serenity

it's all very tiresome really but I know I haven 't done anything wrong. Officer.