Advice on proposed new builds

*pinkpanther*

Hi,

I was hoping to get some advise on a proposed development directly behind my house.
I have a few objections but I mainly wanted to get some advice on the height of the fence that is planned around the boundary and the intrusion of our privacy.

We are in a new build so the garden isnt huge and at the bottom we have a 6ft fence. The ground directly behind our fence is 5ft higher than it is in our garden and this is where the developers are planning on putting 4 x 1 bed flats.

First thing I wanted advice on is the height of the fence, the plans show a 6ft fence around the boundary, when you take into consideration the height of the ground, we will essentially end up with an 11ft fence directly at the bottom of our garden.

The building is being split into 2 x ground floor and 2 x first floor flats. Facing the back of our house and overlooking our garden will be the livingroom of the first floor flat, from the livingroom there will be an uninterrupted birds eye view of our garden and will be able to see directly into the bedrooms.

If the ground was being levelled off (which we were told it was when we bought our house) there wouldnt be a problem but as they are building on ground 5 ft higher it is going to feel very intrusive.

Any help/advice to make my objections more substantial would be a massive help.

Thanks

sparky130a

*pinkpanther* wrote: »

If the ground was being levelled off (which we were told it was when we bought our house) there wouldnt be a problem but as they are building on ground 5 ft higher it is going to feel very intrusive.

You got this in writing of course.... ?

moneyistooshorttomention

That was my first thought - ie "Bet they only said to OP verbally".

However, all may not be lost if they have lied to you on that one.

I think it would be worth checking the planning application for this block and the minutes of any Council meeting they discussed this at. It may be that levelling of the ground has been put down there as a condition of giving that planning permission.

If so - get in there quick on that one - ie contacting a suitable councillor - before they have the chance to lay one single brick. That way - you can check help ensure they stick to this.

*pinkpanther*

sparky130a wrote: »

You got this in writing of course.... ?

Unfortunately it is a different developer than when we first bought our house. Its a few years down the line now and for some reason they get approval with conditions, a new owner pops up and they start over again. I think this is the 3rd attempt now.

The last plan wasnt bad at all, it was a house with the bathroom window overlooking us and wasnt as close to the boundary so wouldnt have been overbearing. This time around they really are trying to make the most of all of the space available.

sparky130a

*pinkpanther* wrote: »

Unfortunately it is a different developer than when we first bought our house. Its a few years down the line now and for some reason they get approval with conditions, a new owner pops up and they start over again. I think this is the 3rd attempt now.

The last plan wasnt bad at all, it was a house with the bathroom window overlooking us and wasnt as close to the boundary so wouldnt have been overbearing. This time around they really are trying to make the most of all of the space available.

The danger of new build i'm afraid. Do they have PP?

Hetty17

Your council will have formal planning guidelines which give a minimum distance between the new and existing properties; and specifically the minimum distance between windows of habitable rooms. I don't know whether these guidelines are local or national, but if you search your council's website for “The Design of
Residential Development Supplementary Planning Document” you might get to the relevant document. My council's guidelines state that the distance between “habitable room windows on the private
or rear side of dwellings” should not be less than 25 metres.