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Original poster

Neighbour unhappy about porch

75 replies

jenn88 · 05/04/2023 16:47

Looking for an outsiders opinion and advice!

DP and I brought our first home 5 years ago! Run down and needed gutting! Blood, sweat, tears and endless money has gone into this house!

Finally we have been able to start process of adding a much needed porch! We have three dogs and a 3 year old! We are only house on street that has not added a porch!

It's been started about a month ago but slow progress due to rain! But foundations dug and concrete base laid, our drive is covered in bricks, bags of sand etc so no secrecy!

Next door, lovely lady in her 70's (I should imagine!) has mentioned to DP as he left for work this morning she wants a word tonight as she is unhappy with our planned porch as it will block some of the Sun into her living room....!

She is very active woman, out most of the day every day with her horse, also never opens her blinds in her living room!!! (Not relevant!!)

I can't see how this would impact her 'sun' and I want to know how to approach this without causing conflict! I'm generally a bit of an anxious over thinker and would hate to upset her!!

We are good neighbours! Always try to help her out with bin day, DP will clear her drains when he has ladder out etc (this isn't relevant!)

Thanks if you got this far!!

OP posts:
LumpyandBumps · 05/04/2023 17:44

From your diagram it doesn’t look close enough to affect the light in her home.

If the porch is covered by permitted development she will just have to accept it.

I thought that permitted development didn’t cover areas forward of the front elevation of a property, so assume either that’s changed or your porch isn’t at the front.

itsgettingweird · 05/04/2023 17:46

As an aside are you going to add gravel to your lawn between the driveway and porch?

You may regret not laying something hard wearing if it rains a lot where you are!

Floralnomad · 05/04/2023 17:49

Just tell her she is being ridiculous and don’t engage any further.

WestminsterAbbey · 05/04/2023 17:50

jenn88 · 05/04/2023 17:12

Yes all within permitted plans so no planning needed! Same size as all other porches on street including hers!

Are you sure?
Assuming it is onto a road then permitted development rule may differ

UrsulaPandress · 05/04/2023 17:54

Cheeky mare. It’s so far away to be irrelevant.

And I don’t believe there is a right to light.

Smile and wave.

Georgyporky · 05/04/2023 17:58

Greensleevevssnotnose · 05/04/2023 17:44

So many ¡!!!!!!!!!!!! It hurt my eyes.

There must be something wrong with OP's keyboard !!!!!!!

Original poster
jenn88 · 05/04/2023 17:59

@WestminsterAbbey
I believe the rules are the completed external structure should not exceed 3m x 3m
And further than 2m from boundary onto a highway?
Obviously further more complicated rules.
I understand we are building within our limits and not breaking any permitted building rules, however I will be honest my understanding is limited!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
jenn88 · 05/04/2023 18:01

I'm also keen on an exclamation mark apparently!!

OP posts:
Eggseggseverywhere · 05/04/2023 18:02

Porch you say? Sounds like you need a new patio.
Alibis always available here...

EmmaChizzett · 05/04/2023 18:05

As pp have said, just smile pleasantly and point out that your house needs a porch like hers and the rest of the street. Don't engage further.

Inkpotlover · 05/04/2023 18:08

Georgyporky · 05/04/2023 17:58

There must be something wrong with OP's keyboard !!!!!!!

Show quote history

😂

OnaBegonia · 05/04/2023 18:19

House 2 would more likely block light not yours from that distance, she's being ridiculous, she can be concerned all she likes you're hardly stopping the build.

twolilacs · 05/04/2023 18:24

Crikey, I thought that your houses were terraced or semi-detached and the porch would be very close to her window. That I could understand, but this? She's obviously got nothing else to think about all day.

MinnieGirl · 05/04/2023 18:35

Namechange828492 · 05/04/2023 17:13

That's ridiculous, there's a lawn, TWO DRIVEWAYS and her own front garden between your porch and her window? She's having a laugh.

Will the porch be glass on 3 sides?

I thought she was next door!
Honestly, I would let her come and knock and then tell her very sweetly that she is a fair distance from you, has the same size porch herself, and you are sorry she is unhappy but you are continuing with your building work

Campervangirl · 05/04/2023 18:37

Eggseggseverywhere · 05/04/2023 18:02

Porch you say? Sounds like you need a new patio.
Alibis always available here...

Love this, hilarious 😂

Justalittlebitduckling · 05/04/2023 19:23

jenn88 · 05/04/2023 17:12

Yes all within permitted plans so no planning needed! Same size as all other porches on street including hers!

I really don’t see how she can object!

Pringleface · 05/04/2023 19:36

Greensleevevssnotnose · 05/04/2023 17:44

So many ¡!!!!!!!!!!!! It hurt my eyes.

So much this. @jenn88 you don’t need an exclamation mark at the end of every sentence!

piedbeauty · 05/04/2023 19:37

Namechange828492 · 05/04/2023 17:13

That's ridiculous, there's a lawn, TWO DRIVEWAYS and her own front garden between your porch and her window? She's having a laugh.

Will the porch be glass on 3 sides?

This!

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 05/04/2023 20:21

Sometimes people are just unhappy with change because it emphasises that they don't have as much control over their environment as they would like. My next door neighbour was (apparently) genuinely upset at her loss of privacy when I took down a really ugly hedge between our front gardens. She kept saying "I just feel like I've lost ALL my privacy".

The thing is that she has a wall topped with a fence all round her front garden, it's about bottom of the rib cage height to the road at the front and the same height between our front gardens rising to above eye level as it get closer to our houses. There is literally nothing that can be seen from my front garden that can't more easily be seen walking along the pavement in front of her house. I can't see into any of her windows as I'm getting out of my car, for instance, but anyone driving or walking past her house can see straight in from the front and that clearly hasn't bothered her for the over a decade that she has lived there.

My point is, it's the change that bothered her and she complained about something spurious because she doesn't realise herself that she is unsettled by change. It's probably the same for your neighbour, just keep neutral on the subject and by the time your porch has been in for a couple of months it will be her new normal and she'll forget all about it.

BMW6 · 05/04/2023 21:22

If she objects I'd just say its odd that she has one herself yet wants you not to.

LibertyLily · 05/04/2023 23:05

jenn88 · 05/04/2023 17:59

@WestminsterAbbey
I believe the rules are the completed external structure should not exceed 3m x 3m
And further than 2m from boundary onto a highway?
Obviously further more complicated rules.
I understand we are building within our limits and not breaking any permitted building rules, however I will be honest my understanding is limited!!!

I thought the permitted development rules for porches was 3 square metres (which isn't the same as 3m x 3m, surely?).....

Otherwise, just get on with building your porch and tell her to get lost. Oh and please step away from the exclamation marks @jenn88!

WeAreTheHeroes · 06/04/2023 06:48

I suspect her loss of privacy comments are really about the builders being there. Will your porch have a window on the side across from her house? If so, you may be able to see into her house when you couldn't before.

Newuser82 · 06/04/2023 06:54

She is being ridiculous really. I can't see that it would have much of an impact on her house from that far away.

QuintanaRoo · 06/04/2023 07:05

Looking at the plan I guess as she looks out her window it’s in her line of sight and maybe she feels it’s spoiling her view. Probably exacerbated by the fact it’s currently a messy building site, she’ll calm down.

my neighbours built a massive double height extension 2m from the Side of my house which totally impacts the light coming in my landing window and therefore the hall and stairs light levels. I wasn’t happy, told them so. They got planning permission. I accepted this. We haven’t fallen out with them at all. Hopefully she can also be sensible.

Roussette · 06/04/2023 07:22

Just say... "I am not undestanding you. You have a porch. I want a porch. Nothing else to say"