Sneaky neighbour waiting to make a complaint!

Steel_2

Hubby and I are about to build a part dry stone wall at the front of our property.

The stone wall is replacing an existing concrete slatted wall that our immediate neighbours told us they hated anyway. It will be to the same height - one metre - as it is within 3 metres of the road.

I have just been told by our next door neighbour (who we get on very well with) that another neighbour across the green from us is waiting until we start building the wall before they put in a complaint to the council. When I asked why he said it could be because some people get jealous that we have the money to afford nice things. I just laughed and said something like we couldn't afford it either, then told him we'd already checked it out with the council and what the rules were about building boundary walls.

Now I did ring and speak to the council a few months ago and was told that as long as it didn't go above a metre it would be fine.

We don't even know this particular neighbour, but all the kids in the street play together and all the mums walk the kids down to the local school, so I'm assuming the information was as a result of a bit of gossiping on the school run.

Anyone have any advice on how to handle this?

Do I put a note through all of our neighbour's door thanking them for their patience (we have A LOT of stone of the driveway at the moment and it looks unsightly) and letting them know the council are happy that planning permission is not needed for us to build the wall? Try and head her off that way?

Or should I let her go ahead and make the complaint and deal with the visit from the council etc.

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wallbash

If you are certain that you have 'obeyed' all council regs.
( height ) just get on with it , ignore interfering neighbour .
Some people just like to complain.

Steel_2

Thanks Wallbash.

Sometimes when people seem so adamant you start to think whether you've missed something.

planning_officer

Yep, 1 metre is fine as permitted development if the wall is adjacent to a highway (unless permitted development rights have been removed from your property or the area - this sometimes occurs in a conservation area).

Steel_2

Part of my village is a conservation area but the occasions I've spoke to someone at the council I've been assured that our street is not included in that.

We did wonder whether there might be a party boundary issue. We live in a semi and our next door neighbours are council tenants, which means we our boundary is with the council. But according to our deeds, it is our boundary to maintain.

There is one other thing. There are three clauses in our deeds stipulating the usual "you must not do X,Y,Z without permission from the council". The clauses refer to getting express written permission from the council to change anything about the property and land it is on and that permission would not be unreasonably withheld.
These deeds were written in 1948

Someone in the past said these were restrictive covenants, however when we got them checked out with a solicitor and then a friend who was a property developer, both said they were standard clauses that all deeds have to make sure people don't go off and build the Taj mahal on their property, that they stick with planning and building regs rules. That we have done. Now we're thinking we should investigate a deed of release, although both our solicitor and developer friend do not believe it is necessary based on the legal wording in our deeds.

paddy's_mum

I wouldn't be doing anything at all, and certainly not writing to all the neighbours apologising.

What need to apologise for improving your home (your investment) and the street environment, unless what you're doing is incredibly noisy at all hours of the day and night, or creating massive clouds of dust throughout the summer holidays or producing a stench on a Bank Holiday when people would enjoy sitting peacefully in their own gardens.

Do your neighbours feel the need to apologise to you if the kids get a bit noisy or late playing chase on the green? Isn't all this part of normal behaviour and an opportunity for good neighbours to exercise a bit of tolerance, that they may themselves need you to show towards their own activities at some time in the future? You might just want to ask the council for confirmation in writing that what you're planning is acceptable but don't go down the route of spending out hard earned cash in order to stuff a neighbour who clearly hasn't the first idea of planning law nor good neighbour tactics!

Ignore Mrs Twisty Knickers. Don't get involved, don't risk a confrontation that might reflect badly on you. Let her make her petulant complaint to the council and come up against a stone wall (if you'll forgive the pun) of officialdom. As things are now, you're the one worrying and feeling bad .. let her come to realise that other neighbours understand that she's not behaving well and have to live with the loss of her reputation for fairness. If the topic is being discussed among the school run Mums, she has already caused damage to people's view of her. Give her enough rope ....

Alternatively, if you're feeling sufficiently upset, you could write out her complaint for her, filling in the correct names and address and details of the property, put it in a stamped envelope addressed to the council and hand it to her. You might just shock or shame her into silence ... !!

suisidevw

Completely agree with the above! Just get on with it! Love the idea of writing to council with her details. hahah

wallbash

If you go along with paddy's mum idea , please let us know the result.

nosherw

We had neighbour problems some years back and the crux is that whatever you do it wont please them.
Generally with Neighbours from hell if you talk to them they will be two faced and deny it all but will sneekily wait to pounce with a complaint to whatever agency they can.
As long as you know you know you are OK with regard to Planning at local authority I would agree with previous comments and just get on with improving your property.
Ignore the idiots likely to cause you problems and dont lose any sleep over it.
good luck
x

27col

Tell them to mind their own b****y business. Better yet, just get on with it and say nothing to them. Some people have far too much time on their hands.

Steel_2

Thanks guys - you're all making me feel a lot better about this.

Paddy's mum struck a chord with us about neighbourlyness. Her children play on this side of the green with our next door neighbours and you can bet she'd want us to keep one eye out for them, as every one does for everyone's children in this village.

Standing by the site of the wall, she would have a problem even seeing the wall from her windows due to the angle of the house and the amount of trees and shrubbery in the way.

We'll try and get some written confirmation from the council that there is no impediment to building the wall in the form of covenants or party wall acts and then get on with it.