Neighbour building bar at bottom of the garden

[michmash1111]

Hello, the neighbour who backs onto our garden is planning on building a bar/free standing building at the bottom of their garden.

We have expressed to them in writing that we wish to understand how they will use this space and also, our thoughts and worries re noise. We are aware that it is their right to build this structure under the rules of planned development.

We're going to ask to see the plans for this build and fully-understand how close to our boundary they will be building.

Do you have any further insights/considerations/suggestions for questions we need to ask?

Thank you very much in advance!

If it is under PD they don't need to tell you / show you anything.

I think you need to mind your own business, its their garden you have no right to ask them what they are using the space for or asking to see plans. You sound like an absolute nightmare!

Assuming neither building is listed on in a conservation area:
They can build right up to your boundaries as long as it's a max of 2.5m high and less than 50% of the total surface area of their garden

Under PD no need for you to know.

How’s it any of your business?

If its under PD you have no rights to know anything and your opinion really doesn't matter. Don't be one of those neighbours.

As it is a bar I assume they will have friends over for drinks

Crikey, not sure you’ll be invited over a for a drink anytime soon.

It really isn’t your business, and as you say, it comes under PD, so you can’t object to it being built. So what’s the point in seeing the plans?

This has nothing to do with you.
They don't need planning permission nor do they need your approval.

Our NDN's built one in their front garden during lockdown. It's broken planning rules, as well as estate covenants but Council deemed it "impudent" to take any further action.

They are making our lives an absolute misery with the noise. Every weekend, they're out there with their lights, sound system and HAW HAW HAWIng until the early hours.

I'd contact planning early on and state your objections OP from bitter experience.

Don't be one of those neighbours

Having seen videos of those neighbours in their homemade bars, surrounded by friends every weekend, screeching and wailing along to music @michmash1111 has my sympathy. All the ‘move somewhere remote if you don’t want neighbours’ posts will likely follow but it’s never ‘move somewhere remote if you want to make all that noise’.

MN astounds me - a child runs around in a first
Floor flat at 8am on a Sunday morning you are the neighbour from hell.

Neighbours potentially building a bar at the boundary with your property, it's none of your business and by questioning it you are the neighbour from hell!

I think the majority of us would be questioning this building and how it may infringe on our life. Are they using it just for the household? A few friends over from time to time or is there going to be drinking, loud music and parties every weekend?

I would be horrified if my neighbours built a bar close to our boundary but unless they need PP then sadly there is absolutely nothing you can do, and writing to them to ask about their intentions is probably not going to gain the kind of response you might be hoping for.

If it is allowed under PD they have no obligation to share their plans with anyone.

How do you know it’s a bar? Do you get on with them? Are they generally good neighbours?

My in-laws have recently got a summer house/bar at the end of their garden. It doesn’t mean they’re throwing loud parties every weekend or anything.

is there a background to why you’re so worried about it?

Unless they plan to run it commercially or the structure is oversized then you are being ott.

I completely understand why you are concerned, that could be a nightmare of late night parties!

Unfortunately there's not much you can do, just buy some earplugs in preparation?

How far away is it from your house?

I'm terraced and we all have very long (c 100ft) gardens. We built a seating area at the end to 1) not disturb people if we wanted to stay out late into the evening and 2) so we didn't have to hear our neighbours every time we wanted to sit out.

You can't hear anything from our house from that seating area.

You can’t complain about it, officially - as you say it’s permitted development. All you can do is have a friendly conversation where hopefully they’ll show you the plans and you can discuss how they’ll use it. But you need to keep it friendly. I wouldn’t go down the ‘in writing’ route - ask for a chat in person.

It will probably be some sort of gazebo affair and about the same size as a large shed. Unless they are already well-known for noisy late-night revelling, it won't affect you much.

You seriously wrote to them. Jeeze you need to live a little!

You've written to them to ask to understand how they are going to use the space?! ... in their garden?! Wow... I'm afraid I'll tell you it's non of your business.

We have expressed to them in writing that we wish to understand how they will use this space and also, our thoughts and worries re noise. We are aware that it is their right to build this structure under the rules of planned development.

We're going to ask to see the plans for this build and fully-understand how close to our boundary they will be building.

Really? I mean Really? Don’t go any further up yourself, you’ll end up coming out the other end inside out.

Why would they respond to that?

They're allowed to build it. They're not going to negotiate with you after getting a prissy letter like that.

Mind your own property and stop involving yourself in theirs when you've no right to.

..... which they probably do anyway, just on the patio. Once the novelty wears off I don't expect they will entertain any more that they have done until now.

If they were the late night party every weekend types you'd doubtless already know about it. They're not likely to go from hermits to all night ravers just because they've built a glorified shed in the garden.