Neighbour extending fence height over 8ft 9!

WildPaw

We had a visit from our new neighbour today who wants to add trellis to the top of his 8ft 9" wall that forms the back wall of our back garden. He has a massive garden and ours is tiny. The existing wall is very old and overshadows our garden already. It was there when we moved in many years ago, so we never thought it to be much of an issue as we couldn't do anything about it.

Now however he says he can either build brick on top of this wall or trellis up to 3 ft extra height!!! to stop us and other neighbours seeing his elderly wife in their pool (a jacuzzi that they put in after they moved in). He said he was only asking me because he didn't want to have to pay for planning permission. He says planners have already told him he can do it just didn't want to have to pay for permission.

When I politely objected and showed him our tiny garden which has kids toys in it, so clearly a family home, he just went 'oh well I will just go to the planners then' and moaned that we were the only neighbours to object (not actually true). I told him it would make our garden look like Colditz but he just said 'Well what a nuisance I will have to go through the planners now' and off he went.

He is very wealthy and knows everyone with lots of influence.

We can't even see his jacuzzi as it is not easily visible and is near the other end of his garden in any case. So this added trellis wouldn't block a view of it because we can't really see it anyway. I suggested he use the space he has to build a screen around it. He said he already did that!?

Please can anyone help. This is our family home and we have been here happily for 20 years.

PaulLuke

Yup,

Speak to the planning department yourselve and check it out with them. From recollection fencing/walls over 2m high need planning permission so my guess would be that heightening one that is already over 2m would also require permission.

The comments that planners have already told him he can do it doesn't make sense to me because planners will never make that sort of comment in relation to pre-application discussions. The best you can hope for is an indication that based on what you tell them, there is a good chance that permission would be granted.

Woby_Tide

Knock on his door and tell him you are building a 15ft tall lookout tower. Explain you don't need planning permission as it's only temporary for the kids and the planners have already agreed.

Also suggest his wife chooses some better attire for wearing in their jacuzzi as the kids are learning about commercial whaling in school and have been given a harpoon to use as homework

ukjoel

Woby_Tide wrote: »

Knock on his door and tell him you are building a 15ft tall lookout tower. Explain you don't need planning permission as it's only temporary for the kids and the planners have already agreed.

Also suggest his wife chooses some better attire for wearing in their jacuzzi as the kids are learning about commercial whaling in school and have been given a harpoon to use as homework

Perhaps made in jest but valid point above. Tell him if he gets planning permission then either a trampoline or a climbing frame with a tower at the top will be placed against the fence with a telescope in the watchtower.

chiefgoobster

An elderly female neighbour getting out of a jacuzzi isgoing tobe even more wrinkled than when she first went in.

waste of a good telescope if u ask me.

macman

How does he imagine that anyone can see over a 8'9" fence at the moment?
Let him waste his money applying for PP. You can then object, and I doubt that he'll be given PP anyway, since the wall is already very high.
There is no enshrined 'right to privacy'.

panchenlama

perhaps be a little careful about diputes with neighbours. can be tricky if you or he need to sell...

Mojisola

WildPaw wrote: »

We had a visit from our new neighbour today who wants to add trellis to the top of his 8ft 9" wall that forms the back wall of our back garden. He has a massive garden and ours is tiny. The existing wall is very old and overshadows our garden already. It was there when we moved in many years ago, so we never thought it to be much of an issue as we couldn't do anything about it.

Now however he says he can either build brick on top of this wall or trellis up to 3 ft extra height!!! to stop us and other neighbours seeing his elderly wife in their pool (a jacuzzi that they put in after they moved in). He said he was only asking me because he didn't want to have to pay for planning permission. He says planners have already told him he can do it just didn't want to have to pay for permission.

When I politely objected and showed him our tiny garden which has kids toys in it, so clearly a family home, he just went 'oh well I will just go to the planners then' and moaned that we were the only neighbours to object (not actually true). I told him it would make our garden look like Colditz but he just said 'Well what a nuisance I will have to go through the planners now' and off he went.

He is very wealthy and knows everyone with lots of influence.

We can't even see his jacuzzi as it is not easily visible and is near the other end of his garden in any case. So this added trellis wouldn't block a view of it because we can't really see it anyway. I suggested he use the space he has to build a screen around it. He said he already did that!?

Please can anyone help. This is our family home and we have been here happily for 20 years.

As it would be very unusual to get permission for this, I wouldn't trust anything else he says. He may have enough influence to push something through but I would start talking to the other neighbours who would be affected by it.

Norman_Castle

http://www.boundary-problems.co.uk/boundary-problems/faq.html#How%20high%20a%20fence%20can%20I%20put%20on%20my%20boundary?

keyfob

He's bluffing. He needs PP for this and he needs to apply for it through the usual channels.

As others have said, check with your local Planners. Some people do have a lot of flippin nerve though.

WildPaw

Thanks all for lots of laughs and reassurance too. I loved the idea of the temporary structure watchtower. Perhaps an observatory as inspired by Prof Brian Cox to watch the stars by, or I could take to sunbathing on my flat roof garage with binoculars for bird-spotting...Actually no that's a horrible thought...

I have lived here for so long with no disputes with any of our lovely neighbours. We are really peaceful people. I cannot believe that someone with all his money and privilege who already has an enormous house and garden would be so greedy to want this sort of thing.

:-(