Neighbours have raised their garden level

[Changeeman]

The neighbours at the end of our garden (their garden backs onto our garden), have recently had their garden done.

I was doing some gardening today when I noticed through the fence gaps that they've significantly raised the level of their garden against our fence.

They've raised it, and look to be retaining it with gravel boards. For reference, our fence is just timber with timber posts.

It was previously on a slope, which causes some water logging in our lawn during the wet/winter months, but now they've raised it I'm worried this will be even worse?

I've included a diagram to show what has been done, I'm not sure if they have turf or patio on the new raised section. Should I be worried about this?

Get a ladder and ‘paint the top of the fence’ and ‘happen to notice’ what it looks like over there, at which point you to go round and speak to them.

Gravel boards don’t sound strong enough to provide a sturdy solution fur anything other than gravel.

I hope they are not using your fence posts to rest them on and they are situated well back to allow air to circulate to prevent rotting your fence.

If ground levels have been changed by a metre, it is quite likely that the planners have decided the groundwork constituted an engineering operation, which under planning legislation is Development. There are no permitted development rights for such works in a residential setting so PP would be required.

Get planning round to have a look then............

Sorted

Same here. What did you use to do the diagram. I'm impressed.

@JohnofWessex Not sure where you live, but they don’t do call outs like that here. You must submit evidence. The op can do that fairly easily.

@Seeline Yes, but the planning portal is not quite so black and white re pp on walls. You can build up a portion of garden with a series of walls without pp. Retaining walls over 600mm - building regs are clear. I think the op really would know if it’s 1m. It’s held back by gravel boards! That’s never going to be suitable for 1m and I would bet it’s not. 300mm more likely. Here’s planning portal guidance.

Thanks Tizer I've been a planner for nearly 40 years. Well aware of the rules on walls. I was talking about engineering operations which can include changing the ground levels in a garden. Which can require PP.

@Seeline Good for you. However your input wasn’t relevant to the op unless there’s something she’s not telling us and she’s next to a new housing development and it’s not a single neighbour. I don’t think it’s a major engineering work.

To be fair the OP hasn't said what the changes are.
I was responding to a different poster who said her neighbours needed PP for groundworks, which you said probably didn't.
It doesn't have to be major engineering works for PP to be necessary.
But obviously you know better.

I wouldn't hold your breath with your Planning Department.

House was built adjacent to us. Did not stick to the plans, and raised the entire garden by a good 1.5 - 2 ft. The soil rests against the gravel boards of the three neighbouring properties. When they are in the garden of this house, they can see easily into the surrounding gardens over their 6' 6" fence. Local planning didn't want to know. 😡

The entire build was a cheap utter shit show and it's no surprise that problems are starting to surface already. 🤦

@Seeline It would have to be pretty major to need pp. A neighbour built a haha in the AONB with a retaining wall. That needed pp. Raising ground levels behind a gravel board doesn’t. It’s not a great idea but we aren’t talking about extensive groundworks and retaining walls. If higher than 600mm it needs building regs. Of course it might be a haha!

I don't know about Building Regs - I am not qualified there.
I do feel able to advise on planning matters because that is what I am qualified in.
I told the OP that patios, decking etc more than 30cm in height can require PP because it breaches the pd limits.
I agreed with another poster that groundworks that change levels in a garden can require PP.
I don't really see what your issue is?
But Happy Easter anyway.

I posted earlier about what needed pp. 300mm worth of ground levelling or change in level won’t or how would any area get a landscaped patio or be held back by a sleeper? I live in AONB and you really can alter your garden level by 300mm. That’s 1 ft. No one said this was extensive ground works or even a patio. Our patio is 600mm above the surrounding garden. It has steps down. No pp required. Like everyone else I know, we just reorganized the garden and levelled off the patio area.

It’s clear in the planning portal that only SIGNIFICANT areas of embanking or terracing to support a HARD surface might need pp. Levelling of a lawn, planting area, making a small deck or installing a patio for most people doesn’t need pp and you can have as much of it as you want.

We have a garden locally where planners made them remove a raised patio because it meant they could see into other gardens.