neighbour stopping extension

Mickygg

My 2p. If I didn't want a neighbours extension, I too would object, whether I was 20, 40 or 80. Age has nothing to do with it.

They have changed their mind. Maybe they think it will detract value on their property, maybe they don't want all the noise, might be more overlooked, loose some sunlight in their garden etcetera. Loads of reasons why they may have changed their mind.

Asking for money though I think is wrong.

Submit the plans and see what happens. That's what I would do and I wouldn't pay them anything.

Annie1960

Hedgehog99 wrote: »

I know someone who regrets allowing their neighbour an extension.

Nobody 'allows' their neighbour to have an extension.

The council makes this decision, based on planning law.

moneyistooshorttomention

Annie1960 wrote: »

Nobody 'allows' their neighbour to have an extension.

The council makes this decision, based on planning law.

I translated "allow" into "made it easy for the neighbours to have that extension" - ie allowed them to use their garden for access to build it/didn't put in appeal against it/etc.

*Robin*

oscarpops wrote: »

I dont think some people realise they are playing with lives here, moving isnt an option really either. Just really sad and disappointed now. Thanks for all your replies

Aren't you playing with your neighbours' lives; in all likelihood devaluing their property and proposing to inflict considerable disruption on them?

Don't know where in the country you are OP, but I'd want at least the £20K my neighbour's planned extension would have knocked off the value of my home at today's prices, plus £1K per month for the time their scaffolding was blocking the only access to my back garden, in order to allow their project to go ahead without objection.

In my neighbour's case, I suggested an alternative solution which would cost half of what they were proposing by turning their double garage into a granny flat, and building a new garage on their dingy, unused north-facing front garden (next to another garage).
I lost all sympathy when neighbour bemoaned the prospect of having a three metre high wall five metres from her kitchen window - but she was quite happy to put a six metre wall just over one metre away from my living room window!
No, that extension did not get built.

Davesnave

*Robin* wrote: »

..... a six metre wall just over a metre away from my living room window!
No, that extension did not go ahead.

From the info given, it appears permission would never have been in your gift.

*Robin*

Davesnave wrote: »

From the info given, it appears permission would never have been in your gift.

Indeed not, but the chief planning officer was certainly sympathetic to my position.

moneyistooshorttomention

I can sympathise with the thought of a grandstand view of neighbours extension wall feet from a window.

When I bought my last house the neighbour already had an extension in place (going up 2 storeys high at that) only feet from two of my windows.

I didn't really click how oppressive I would find that over the years. Add the fact that I was never in a million years going to keep that house for anything like the time I had to in the event.

But I did find it very oppressive and it reduced the light a lot in 2 rooms of my house and I came to hate it. That was when the extension had been there first. But if I had been there first - and then the extension went up - I can just imagine how much more oppressive I would have found it and I would have been livid.

Sometimes neighbours don't think about/don't care about the impact of their extensions. I was only reading a newspaper article during the week about how a neighbour had agreed not to oppose a single-storey extension and hadn't been made aware that it would make it literally impossible for the window in her side wall to be opened (other than the small top window in the current style of window she has there).

That woman will now not be able to swop that window for the style she has decided to have now - as it would not be possible to open it all if she did so.

The bad neighbour concerned had not even taken account of the fact that the neighbouring house would be less usable as a consequence of their extension.

skintpaul

OP neighbour sounds like extortion.. i would report to council.

zaax

You need a builder that can work over hand (from the inside), a lot of brickies can't and they need scaffolding.The overhand method does not leave a good looking finish - but if you're not looking at it..

If you're not going into your neighbours air space (gutting etc) they have nothing to complain about.

http://www.mybuilder.com/questions/v/6031/does-a-wall-built-overhand-look-ok-if-a-reasonable-amount-of-skill-is-used

Mallotum_X

Speak to your builder to work out how it can be done without going in to their land. There will be a way.

Once you have the planning permission then you won't need to worry about the neighbour.

You have been more then fair in keeping them informed, the fact they think they should get a few grand out of you shows them up as poor neighbours rather than you.