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neighbours huge decking

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  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
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    Davesnave said:
    Playing devil's advocate here. 

    The only material change from the OP's POV is that there is now no fence on the neighbour's decking. The decking was there beforehand surrounding the the pool anyway so they would have been using that to sit/stand on. 
    In fact, changing the pool to decking is a bonus for the OP. They now have the whole decking to sit at rather than just the edge. Less likelihood of them looking into OP's garden as the photo shows, especially since the fence has been removed.
     There is now  an enormous decked area the same height as our wall so when anyone stands on it they have a full view into all of our bedrooms. 
    They could do that before, nothing has changed. Now they don't have a fence to lean on when they do it. 
    All irrelevant IMO. They have added to the decking and the result isn't for us to evaluate. That job falls to the planning dept.
    True but ops complaint was that he/she was now overlooked more which is not the case. 
    Because the neighbour removed a fence. Removing a fence does not need PP.
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    AdrianC said:
    Davesnave said:
    Playing devil's advocate here. 

    The only material change from the OP's POV is that there is now no fence on the neighbour's decking. The decking was there beforehand surrounding the the pool anyway so they would have been using that to sit/stand on. 
    In fact, changing the pool to decking is a bonus for the OP. They now have the whole decking to sit at rather than just the edge. Less likelihood of them looking into OP's garden as the photo shows, especially since the fence has been removed.
     There is now  an enormous decked area the same height as our wall so when anyone stands on it they have a full view into all of our bedrooms. 
    They could do that before, nothing has changed. Now they don't have a fence to lean on when they do it. 
    All irrelevant IMO. They have added to the decking and the result isn't for us to evaluate. That job falls to the planning dept.
    True but ops complaint was that he/she was now overlooked more which is not the case. 
    Because the neighbour removed a fence. Removing a fence does not need PP.
    I may have missed it in a long thread, but I don't think anyone has said that it does. The removal of the fence was the reason the OP started the thread and most of us are simply speculating on what the next course of action might be. The possibilities are many and there's quite a lot that could happen in the way of 'development' along that boundary. Bearing that in mind, there may yet be scope for negotiation.

  • Sea_Shell
    Sea_Shell Posts: 10,025 Forumite
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    Does anyone have the "right" to garden privacy??
    How's it going, AKA, Nutwatch? - 12 month spends to date = 2.60% of current retirement "pot" (as at end May 2025)
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
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    Davesnave said:
    AdrianC said:
    Davesnave said:
    All irrelevant IMO. They have added to the decking and the result isn't for us to evaluate. That job falls to the planning dept.
    True but ops complaint was that he/she was now overlooked more which is not the case. 
    Because the neighbour removed a fence. Removing a fence does not need PP.
    I may have missed it in a long thread, but I don't think anyone has said that it does. 
    And that's the whole point.

    The neighbour has not done anything within an enforceable time window that would have required PP.
    The planners can do not one sausage.
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    AdrianC said:
    Davesnave said:
    AdrianC said:
    Davesnave said:
    All irrelevant IMO. They have added to the decking and the result isn't for us to evaluate. That job falls to the planning dept.
    True but ops complaint was that he/she was now overlooked more which is not the case. 
    Because the neighbour removed a fence. Removing a fence does not need PP.
    I may have missed it in a long thread, but I don't think anyone has said that it does. 
    The neighbour has not done anything within an enforceable time window that would have required PP.
    Except add a swimming pool sized chunk to the high decking recently, which could be inspected, and the last thing people who do this sort of thing want is a visit from planning, because they usually do other dubious stuff too.
    It's all part of negotiation, and entirely dependent on how the OP wants to play things. They could do nothing and accept defeat, they could try to negotiate a reinstatement of a fence, or they could achieve some privacy from the neighbour by building/growing something of their own. All of these things will have cost and stress implications one way or another, and it's very much down to what sort of person the OP is as to which they choose.
    I know what I'd do, but that's irrelevant. I'm not them.

  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
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    I'm not sure filling in a chunk of pre-existing decking would require PP. No extra structure was constructed.
  • Abbafan1972
    Abbafan1972 Posts: 7,148 Forumite
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    edited 26 May 2020 at 9:57AM
    There's been no update since Sunday from the OP?
    Striving to clear the mortgage before it finishes in Dec 2028 - amount currently owed - £26,322.67
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    AdrianC said:
    I'm not sure filling in a chunk of pre-existing decking would require PP. No extra structure was constructed.
    I'm not sure either, but by checking with planning, the OP would know. Knowing something negative is still part of ruling things out and making decisions.

  • -taff
    -taff Posts: 15,350 Forumite
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    There's been no update since Sunday from the OP?
    What's to update? It was a bank holiday, council may be open today but I doubt they'll get a reply instantly.

    Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi
  • Sistergold
    Sistergold Posts: 2,135 Forumite
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    annie206 said:
    Hi there, Im after a bit of advice. We purchased our house 18 months ago. At that time the neighbours had a swimming pool in their back garden. It was an above ground one, set into a large decked area and had a 6ft fence on the edge of the decking, about 2ft from the boundary and our low (4ft) garden wall. We had no problem with the height of it as it gave them and us privacy. The pool decked area stood as high as our wall, about 4ft from ground level, so with the fence it was about 10ft high. The whole decked/pool area takes up about 60-70% of their back garden
    Over the last 8 weeks or so, our neighbour has decided to deck over the pool and remove the fence. Our houses are upside down so our bedrooms are downstairs, and the gardens slope away steeply from the back of the houses. There is now  an enormous decked area the same height as our wall so when anyone stands on it they have a full view into all of our bedrooms. Im not bothered about losing privacy in the garden, well I am, but losing it in our bedrooms is more important. Our neighbour is a bit of a bully and so is her daughter, and they often stand on the edge of the decking and stare into our garden - I do have photos of them doing this. It's an attempt at intimidation, but they just get ignored or their photo taken.
    Any way, I was going to apply to the planning department to see if we could have a higher than 2m fence erected, as 2m would only be knee high to anyone standing on the decking, plus our neighbour has filled her decking with dozens of garden lights, which are on 24 hours of the day and night, so I was hoping to block some of this out. Do any of you think we have a case to put in a high fence? Also, planning permission was never applied for for the pool, but it's not a pool anymore, it's now a decked area taking up over 50% of the garden and its 4ft high, which I think planning is required for such a big structure? I would'nt object at all if another 6ft fence was put up on the decking, as it was before, but the neighbour has said they want the view across our garden. Any advice would be greatly appreciated xxx
    I am really sorry that you have had to put up with such neighbours! I just could not believe the extent to which they are harassing you? This is truly antisocial/bulling behaviour. Hope you keep your spirit up while dealing with this. 
    I agree with other posters to log it in with the council and also get the garden sail to cover up your bedroom view while you wait for resolutions.
    i hope they don’t device other ways to torture you once they are forced to remove their fence, it looks like they have a mental disorder 
    good luck
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