Attaching screening to Neighbour's shed

[lavenderlou]

Our neighbours at the bottom end of our garden have decided to build a shed at the boundary line (previously the boundary was just chicken wire/foliage). We don't have any issue with this per se but it's quite large and he's built it from the ugliest chipboard imaginable. I assumed he would be cladding it or something but have realised he can't be as the chipbaord is right up to the boundary line. We want to cover it with some screening on our side but he's put a row of windows along the top which the screening would cover. I'm assuming there's no issues with doing this as it's our side we are covering?

You can erect your own screening but you cannot attach it to the neighbours shed without permission.

Check local regulations. Here sheds have to be 1m away from a fence.

Put your own posts in as you cannot use the shed itself, but he may want to maintain the facing side at some point.

Are the windows looking into your garden? That would be a planning issue.

Thanks all. Regulations here seem to be no permission needed if the structure is less than 2.5m high (which it is on our side, although higher on his side as it is built in an unusual dug out area on their side). Will look at attaching our own posts.

Regarding maintenance, I believe from reading that if he wants to maintain it he should build it with sufficient space around it on his side to be able to do so.

They are, but are high enough to let in light but not really for anyone to be able to look out over our property unless they were standing on something. Not sure if that makes any difference. Due to the height difference we would possibly be able to stare into his shed if we so chose!

Most places allow you to put up a 6ft fence on your land on the border.

However my guess is if you put it close it will make that side of the shed inaccessible for maintenance, block some of the light and maybe prevent any windows opening if it is close enough. Also if it is a DIY job built out of chipboard and not properly lapped then it may well get damp in the future and closing off the air space to the shed wall with a fence will not help that.

As you might expect your neighbour might not be too thrilled with that.

Whether they have a right to not be happy about it is another issue.

They are a bit thick if they didn't leave a space around it to maintain / fix it .

Have you considered speaking to him and asking whether he minds if you tart up the side facing you?

Potentially still an issue. If it bothers you I would speak to your local planning officer for advice. Otherwise just put up your own fence, you’re well within your rights to do so.

Is it too late for him to move the shed away from the boundary a little? Perhaps you could say to him that you're planning on planting a hedge or putting up a trellis, and he won't be able to access the back of it for maintenance. He may well have taken for granted that you would allow him access, which was his mistake, as even if you agreed, a future neighbour might not.

If the windows don't bother you, then perhaps don't mention the fact that they might be against regulations at this point.

Far too late for him to move it. He has been building it in bits and pieces for about two months (!) but was only when he put the chipboard in while we were on holiday that we realised how unsightly it will be. I very much doubt he has thought about maintaining it but - he doesn't seem too experienced at this sort of thing 😁. He has been nice enough when speaking to us about it before so hopefully will be ok when we mention screening it. It looks like it will be some time until he's actually finished it.....

If it really is chipboard, it won't be there long.
I'd put posts up on my side that fence panels can be slid into- this sort of thing:
https://www.charlesandivy.co.uk/products/classic-fence-panel-dark-grey-concrete-posts?variant=43483982463192&dfw_tracker=134535-43483982463192&campaign=20109289856&content=&keyword=.
Then if he needs to maintain it and you want to allow him to, you could just lift them out.

is it op's responsibility how he will maintain his shed?

he put the shed just at the border. he should think about it before. he has been cheeky.

It'll fall apart in the rain if it's just chipboard.

Do the windows open?

Could it simply be that if you offered him access he could attach the same covering on his shed on your side ?

If the structure - i.e. the shed - is higher than 2.5m then he would need permission. The fact that it isn't on your side is irrelevant, I'm pretty sure, it isn't the height of a fence - it is the hight of the 'structure' which is relevant, surely? I would take it up with planning?

I wonder how long it will take to deteriorate to the extent that it either falls down, or he has to dismantle it as it is no longer usable? It may be that it's only up for a few months, in which case it might not be worth getting into a planning dispute.

@BlueMongoose 's idea of removable fence panels is a good solution in terms of screening, and being neighbourly - i.e. showing willingness to facilitate maintenance.

If the board looks like hundreds of bits of wood compressed together then it’s called OSB. It has a certain amount of water durability but the neighbour could have given it a few coats of clear waterproofing.

Its an eye sore if it’s OSB.

Does this shed not have a roof?
That must be hanging over the boundary line OP?
And if it is , does the slope of the roof mean it’s going to dump rain water your side?

Plant a row of laurels or equivalent, or maybe bamboos in sunken ceramic planters, in front of it or, fence on your side.

He can do what he likes on his side but equally you can do what you like in your's 🤷‍♀️
What you can't do is attach anything to his property.

His lack of forethought to how he's going to maintain it, is his lookout.

As others have mentioned, if he’s going to just leave it as bare OSB then he’s a fool and this time next year it’ll be papier-mâché as the British winter does its thing. As long as under 2.5 meters and not greater than 15 square meters internal size then it’s within permitted development. Unless significantly overhanging or encroaching onto your land then nothing you can do through courts. Attaching things to it could be seen as criminal damage depending on what you’re attaching. Building something to cover it all up whilst technically fine may well cause argument / dispute. If it were me I’d likely suck it up. Maybe put some big flowers or something infront if it really offends you.

If it is chipboard, painting it woud stop it falling down after the firt time it gets really wet. Might he allow you to paint it with suitable paint on your side? I doubt he is supposed to have put plain glass on your side- is it not frosted?

I googled OSB and it is that. DH has spoken to him tonight and he is fine with us attaching bamboo screening to it - he even says he's got some leftover that we can use. Originally he only told us he was putting a fence there and he did agree that the shed is quite unsightly. We can't really put a fence easily on our side as our garden is paved at the bottom as there is a greenhouse down there.

This happened to me, my neighbour had windows directly into my garden, right by the house, part of her house not a shed!!! I was fine with it until she turned into a psycho (with on-road parking, another issue entirely, I ended up getting the police involved who entirely sided with me) but I put up a fence. I couldn't use her 'structure' to attach it to, but my father drilled into the floor. Don't attach anything to their hideous structure but definitely sort your own supports and put something up. The right-to-light won't apply, they're taking they mick.