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Neighbour's huge new extension, how can I create privacy in the garden again?

116 replies

0o0o0o0 · 25/02/2023 08:29

My neighbour has built a large new extension that now heavily overlooks my 30ft long garden. The end fence (which is theirs) is already slightly over 6ft tall as it stands on concrete gravel boards. The extension ground floor stands 3ft higher than the top of the fence as their land is higher. So they can look out of their huge kitchen window and see all of my garden. In addition, there is a large bedroom window above also giving a birds-eye view. I'm thinking the only thing I can do is plant trees but they won't totally disguise the house. My neighbour is against me planting any kind of dense hedging like Yew or trees because the fence is already at max hedge height 6ft and it would block out the sun to their tiny garden.

I thought about putting in some very tall posts with only thin wires between them and then growing roses along them, so it's tall but pretty from both sides. So perhaps adding another 3 -4ft higher than the fence. The extension is nicely built but it devalues my house now as I'm so overlooked. Any ideas?

Neighbour's huge new extension, how can I create privacy in the garden again?
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Blingstar · 26/02/2023 09:03

Black bamboo kept in pots on the concrete gravel. You could get large rectangular pots which will allow you to space it out and restrict its roots, which can be a nightmare. Otherwise a jasmine trained up and along wires or a metal arch in front of the fence could be an option. You could put a bench underneath. Agriframes have some large arches.

AllTheThingsIWantAreHere · 26/02/2023 09:50

I'm glad I don't live next door to a few of the posters on this thread who sound quite vindictive. I wouldn't like the neighbours extension but neighbours building extensions is just something that happens in life. It won't have been done maliciously and I doubt the Neighbour have any interest in peering at the OP in her garden.

I also don't think it's wrong for the Neighbour to 'ask' for the OP not to plant dense hedging along the fence. There are other options that would be just as good for the OP so why would anyone deliberately want to do something that would impact the Neighbour unnecessarily.

I get a massive amount of value by having a good relationship with all my neighbors. It's a matter of give and take.

I think it's reasonable to want some extra screening but I think it's unreasonable to suggest things such as deliberately trying to block the neighbours light as suggested by PP. That's small minded and nasty.

WhyCantPeopleBeNice · 26/02/2023 10:30

@AllTheThingsIWantAreHere the time for reasonable discussion was before the extension was built.
Anything we've done under permitted development we've discussed with our neighbor prior to doing to understand the impact for her - it sounds like the OP neighbours built an extension with no consideration for her loss of privacy and now are making demands for how she deals with it.
Had they discussed and agreed in advance the best solution for both, they now don't get a say in whatever the OP does.
It's not malicious, it's dealing with the crappy hand that's been dealt

LibertyLily · 26/02/2023 10:55

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 25/02/2023 12:23

@LibertyLily you have my sympathy. our last house was the same, laurel had spread and grown out of control, roots of the bastard stuff everywhere meaning you couldn’t dig it up easily. The berries were completely acidic on the cars paint.
i can see it’s attraction and under control it is pretty green all year coverage, but it should definitely be on the invasive “use with caution” list. I see it used on every development, it’s such a shame as there are such better options for wildlife.

good luck in your war against it!

Thanks @VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji 😊

TizerorFizz · 26/02/2023 11:24

Laurel and bamboo is just asking for trouble in a small garden. Don’t plant it. Use taller small trees. Adequate screening without the dense foliage snd thuggish spread.

purpledalmation · 26/02/2023 11:28

TizerorFizz · 26/02/2023 11:24

Laurel and bamboo is just asking for trouble in a small garden. Don’t plant it. Use taller small trees. Adequate screening without the dense foliage snd thuggish spread.

Using pots is the answer

TizerorFizz · 26/02/2023 11:29

Laurel won’t screen much in a pot. It has lots of negatives.

Diyextension · 26/02/2023 16:37

Bamboo in pots , especially the taller species will soon out grow the pot and die I have a few different ones ( clumping ) in pots and have to keep splitting them as they outgrown the pot.

laurel , bamboo, Leylandi are all fine as long as they are looked after properly it’s when they are left unmanaged that problems arise. Lilacs and staghorn are another 2 that can spread .

Maray1967 · 26/02/2023 23:39

If I were you, the leylandii would have been planted already.

They have built a large extension that devalues your property. You have the right to plant a hedge/trees to e regain some privacy.

user1492757084 · 27/02/2023 01:43

How about planting Virginia Creeper on wires or Hops on a tall flag poles with wires branching diagonally downwards creating a very tall thin barrier that some light can traverse but it nedn't touch the neighbours fence.

C4tastrophe · 27/02/2023 08:13

The neighbours did what was best for themselves, you need to do the same.

WhereIsMumHiding3 · 01/03/2023 14:48

I really like red robin as well as Laurel, magnolia evergreens...

Laurel grows very fast if planted in the ground, and it will get out of hand if you don't hack it back each year!!

Red robin is slower growing but very pretty. Magnolias flower beautifully but sporadically only once stay to mature and have dense foliage, variegated box bushes (evergreens) are lovely too and sit well next to other evergreens - keep them trimmed so the foilage stays dense not spindly

Rhododendrons are slower growing evergreens but have glorious prolific flowers 🌺 in spring/ summer.

I'd be inclined to plant a mix of evergreen bushes that will grown and small trees so it's not one continuous "hedge" as it will prove a good screening but not be subject to the 2-3 or more "hedges in a row" council legislation for height of hedges...

You can buy slightly more mature plants - laurels can be about £20-30 for a large 4 foot plant already to give you a head start but as others said they grow fast and become large tree like without heavy maintenance

You can also put in climbers against a few posts with wire not attached to their fence which will give fairly comprehensive cover after a year or two whilst the hedges grow. Honey suckle and wisteria are good for this

Also slow growing trees don't have sane spread of roots and you'd want to have a blank innocent face that " trees were there before NDN extension was built"

WhereIsMumHiding3 · 01/03/2023 14:50

C4tastrophe · 27/02/2023 08:13

The neighbours did what was best for themselves, you need to do the same.

I agree with this

WhereIsMumHiding3 · 01/03/2023 14:53

The extension looks to be to the side

So the fact you are growing hedges and trees near your boundary is none of their business unless the roots from trees undermine their foundations

Interestingly they don't have a right to light in their garden - is my understanding of council legislation so even if they don't want you to , it's not within their control or decision

WhereIsMumHiding3 · 01/03/2023 14:55

I would never grow leilandi for trees in a small garden or any for trees as they suck all the water out of the ground and and it hard to grown anything else. They also will limit light in your garden too

So I think that was a poor suggestion by a previous Pp ( who was trying to help)

WhereIsMumHiding3 · 01/03/2023 14:56

Fir trees 🌲 not "for trees" doh !

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