Decking/ viewing platform

[Itwasntme1]

My neighbour has Been building something beside my fence for weeks.

It’s decking - must be four foot high. My fence is six foot and he was just standing on the deck and it’s like a viewing platform - it’s right beside my back door, about three feet away side on. My six foot fence now comes up to his waist.

I hate it. The gardens are so small that I can’t grow trees etc to block out their view of me. I don’t feel like I can go into my own garden.

I know they should have got planning permission - but I don’t want to go down the formal route. He has been working on it for weeks - would it be ridiculous for me to ask them to lower it? How much clout do I have, would planning force them to reduce it?

If he gave a shit about you he wouldn’t have built it. The only thing you can do is tell him that he needs to reduce it or you’ll have to report him to planning - and then do that.

I’d be telling him to put a 6 foot fence on the decking

Sounds terrifying, the number one thing I want in a garden is some previous, and not to feel like I'm on stage to an audience or obliged to chat to neighbours just because we can see each other

The really annoying bit is his wife yelled at me a couple of years ago for trimming some overhanging branches (not even her trees). Was really confrontational and said I cutting down trees and was impacting her privacy😂. I tried to calmly explain that I was Only pruning some branches in my garden, but she kept shouting. Relations have been frosty since then.

Doesn’t seem to care about my privacy. They have a close up view of me now at both my front and side door. No idea why the bloody thing has to be so high.

@GreyGardens88

Sounds terrifying, the number one thing I want in a garden is some previous, and not to feel like I'm on stage to an audience or obliged to chat to neighbours just because we can see each other

I love nothing more than reading in the garden With a glass of wine and listening To the birds.

Now I feel like I am some sort of exhibition. I live alone, which for some reason makes it feel like more of a violation.

I also think people take more liberties when you are female on your own. People think they can walk all over you and any complaints you have are invalid and hysterical.

@Itwasntme1

The really annoying bit is his wife yelled at me a couple of years ago for trimming some overhanging branches (not even her trees). Was really confrontational and said I cutting down trees and was impacting her privacy😂. I tried to calmly explain that I was Only pruning some branches in my garden, but she kept shouting. Relations have been frosty since then.

Doesn’t seem to care about my privacy. They have a close up view of me now at both my front and side door. No idea why the bloody thing has to be so high.

I would definitely complain to the council then! If they want to bite you can bite back

I might wait until they are on the deck and express surprise at how high it is and see how they respond. I will ask how on earth they got round the planning regulations.

Are they setting something into the deck like a pond? This may be why it's so high? Can you take some photos from the top floor of your house?

I’m not sure why the deck has to be so high. I think they may be using the space underneath for storage. The seem to be using the deck for a seating area with a table.

I don’t want to post photos incase anyone recognises the house.

It’s not a particularly large deck, it’s just very high, and very close.

Are you in England? It might need planning permission. A quick google finds this which says decking doesn’t need planning permission if it’s under 30cm above ground.

www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/11/decking

Even if it falls under permitted development he may be required to get it ok’d before doing it, which I guess he hasn’t.
www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/11/decking