Neighbour's proposed ugly summer house

[BizzyMissy]

Our neighbour (in a row of terraced houses) has applied for planning permission for a outbuilding at the end of their garden, 3m high and 4m deep. It will be as wide as their garden and just inches from ours.

It won't impact our light or privacy (no windows overlooking our garden) but given it's right next to the boundary and its height/depth, it's going to be an eyesore and change the character of our garden and other neighbours. We're in a conservation area but not sure the back of the houses is covered by that. Due to the way the light falls, we have our patio at the end of the garden, the other side of the fence from the proposed building. Instead of looking at the sky from our patio, we'll soon be looking at a brick wall!

Does anyone know of any reasonable grounds we can use to object? Assuming they'll get permission but it would be great if the pemission comes with a requirement for it to be smaller (lower height/depth).

Thanks!

My neighbour had similar put in. I’m also mid terrace and my garden is only four meters wide and ten long. Her summerhouse is right up next to the fence so I’m looking right at it. It’s permitted development as it’s 2.5 meters high but her ground level is higher than mine so it does loom over the fence. She allowed me to pick the colour the wood frame is painted and the roof type (cedar shingles) and paid for a shrub to be planted in front of it on my side to keep me happy, even though I had no reason to complain, so that’s nice. It’s a year on and it looks okay now the planting has grown to take the edge off.

If it doesn’t affect your privacy or the light that gets into your garden then I don’t see the problem. Most summer houses I know take up the full width of the garden, boundary to boundary.

You can’t do anything about it I don’t think.

I’m not sure you have any grounds for objection, unless it’s specific to restrictions in a conservation area. Contact your local planning officer?

Without seeing the plans it's difficult to say, but you could try objecting:

Visual dominance
Creating a sense of enclosure
Too big/high - causing overdevelopment
Harmful to the character of the Conservation Area/out of keeping with the character of the area.

The Council's local plan will be on the planning policy page if the Council website - there should be policies relating to design, general development, and possibly house extensions/outbuildings. Have a look and see if you think the proposal is contrary to any of those, and then refer to them in your objection.

If it was 2.5m high (permitted development) instead of 3m, would that be acceptable? Most people manage perfectly well with a 2.5m high structure so it is odd your neighbour wants the hassle of going higher. It might be that being a CA she had to get planning anyway so figured may as well go a bit bigger. There is a useful Planning Geek Facebook group which may be able to offer some specific wording which will cause the planning department to reject it/tell her to reduce the height.

Thanks for all the comments and thoughts on how we might object. We would not be considering objecting if the height was at the planned development height - we believe it's the extra 0.5m that is going to spoil the view and enjoyment of our garden.

@Crouton19 , it's the design which is making it so high. The ceiling height will be 2.4m but it has a Swiss chalet-style double pitched roof that adds the extra height.

I will look at our local authority planning info and also the FB page suggested. @Seeline , several of your suggestions seem to apply in our case - thank you.

Also interesting to read some think it won't be that big a deal - I'll hold that thought if the planning is approved without adjustment!

Thanks, All.

If all else fails I recommend planting to hide it
my neighbour managed to get planning permission for a massive 1.5 storey ‘garage/office’ at the end of his garden in terraced housing. It looks over our garden and I hate it so much but I feel a bit better since I planted a row of lovely pleached trees to hide it and some climbers to cover the brick wall.

Yes, I think last resort we'll be looking to hide it. It might be difficult for us because we wouldn't want to move our patio, which will be right next to it, as that is the part of our garden which keeps the sun and light the longest and also the garden is not large enough to plant a tree. Even a trellis on top of the fence is unlikely to be possible as the neighbours are responsible for the fence on that side of our garden.