Neighbour installing window on boundary wall

ootoobeah

My neighbour has told me that a small (I assume obscured) window is being installed into their new downstairs cloakroom. Their house wall is on the boundary and my house is approx 1 metre away from theirs, the 1 metre is my property but they have to come onto it for maintenance to their house. There are currently no windows on either walls facing each other. Is such a window allowed to be installed?

G_M

was the 'new cloakroom' built under Permitted Development or did it require Planning Permission? What do the plans show?

Was a Pary Wall agreement set up when it was built?

Where two habitable rooms face one another such that direct overlooking is likely to occur, the windows shall be a minimum of 22 metres apart. Where a window faces a wall which exceeds the height of the top of that window, they must be a minimum of 13 metres apart. This standard applies on flat ground.

https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/planning_portal/lpg_notes/lpg20.htm

unforeseen

A cloakroom is not classed as a habitable room

pinkshoes

I think they would be allowed a window but it would need to open inwards.

You could put a fence up... (bit mean!!)

Davesnave

unforeseen wrote: »

A cloakroom is not classed as a habitable room

Definitely not after some people I used to work with had been in there!

What pinkshoes says is correct; the window should be obscure glass and not open over your air space.

If you have no window there and there's only a gap of 1m I can't see much of a problem achieving these things, but it would be as well to check what, exactly, is proposed.

ootoobeah

I don't think they have had any planning permission, they're just doing it.

Clutterfree

What is your objection?
Obscure glass and if you’ve no windows on your wall they can’t look into your property anyway.

FreeBear

ootoobeah wrote: »

I don't think they have had any planning permission, they're just doing it.

New windows will require building regulation approval (a FENSA certificate will usually suffice), as will the lintel - Not sure if FENSA can self certify that part. Pretty sure a new opening will require planning consent even if it does fall under permitted development.

If they are indeed "just doing it", inform your local planning department.

muhandis

Genuine question OP, if you don't mind me asking, is there any particular reason why you object to this frosted window if it's just facing your wall?

Clutterfree wrote: »

What is your objection?
Obscure glass and if you’ve no windows on your wall they can’t look into your property anyway.

davidmcn

Clutterfree wrote: »

What is your objection?

muhandis wrote: »

is there any particular reason why you object to this frosted window if it's just facing your wall?

What if the OP would like to build a wall along the boundary, in front of the window? There's a good reason why planners don't like windows in boundary walls!

ootoobeah

We sometimes store things up the side of the house so they're out of the way/sight. When we moved into the property there was a shed type building between the 2 houses but was rotten so we took it down with the intention of replacing it but haven't done so yet. I don't really want a window being opened onto my pathway if our kids are walking past and potentially hurting themselves. If it was on the next level up I probably wouldn't mind.